A New Life with You
by Rose of Poison Ivy
Summary: This is what I can picture happening after the third game of Final Fantasy xiii. Everyone will eventually come into the story, but for now only a few...Sorry I'm terrible at summaries. Ummm, it's basically about everyone trying to live a normal life in the "new world" Hope/Vanille, Noel/Yeul, and Serah/Snow pairings. My first chapter is terrible, sorry.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:I don't own anything. -_-

Author's Notes: Hey guys, I really had to get this story out it was killing me that's why I just took the time one day and let it out. So here it is, "hope" you guys like it! Oh, and the reason this story kept scratching the back of my mind was because of one character, Lightning. I didn't find out about FFXIII-3 until I accidentally happened to come across a trailer for the game on YouTube. I was disappointed a few days later to find that the game had brought up an up roar of Lightning/Hope pairing. My first thought was; didn't Hope look to her as a motherly figure? Guess many people didn't quite see it the same way. Anywho, I found out that a lot of writers have written a bunch of fanfics on this pairing. I am a Vani/Hope lover and so, I was annoyed. Yes, I have played all the games, and I STILL am a V/H fan. So this is just me trying to get more Vanille/ Hope fics out there:) Hope you enjoy.

The bold text could be considered to be thoughts coming from Vanille or Hope in a narrative manner.

I try! *sheepishly smile* Enjoy!

Ah! One last thing: its my first story on this site so criticism highly requested ^^.

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"Ahhh!" yelled a panicked Vanille as she grasped the sheets beneath her. She quickly sat up when she noticed the bed was drenched in sweat. Tears began to rush down her porcelain cheeks.

"Vanille?" called a small voice. She turned to her left and almost jumped out of her skin.

"Dajh!" she let out startled. She quickly took the small six year-old into her arms.

"Is big sis, okay?" he asked after a few seconds. Vanille gulped at the thought of her nightmare and refrained from answering. Then they both jumped when the door to the dark room they were in was illuminated by a faint light; which came from the corridor of the two-bedroom apartment she and Snow were staying at.

"Vanille?" called Snow. Who now stood at the door with both of his hands on each side of the doorway. He then flicked on the light, after not getting a response.

"You okay? He asked walking into the large room. His face watched her with concern.

"Yeah... Everything is...fine..." the usually happy girl answered. Snow looked her over, her green emeralds, bloodshot. She then reached over to the table at the bedside and grabbed a hair tie. Pulling her bright red hair into one curly ponytail. She turned to Dajh, who was now rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Dajh...big sis needs to change the sheets, okay? Would you do her a favor and go with big brother Snow?" she asked mustering a huge smile. The child nodded still rubbing the sleep off his eyes and made his way off the king size bed and to Snow's right side. Snow only stared at Vanille completely puzzled. Taking Dajh's small hand in his, he walked the boy to the doorway.

"I'll be right back." he announced as he slowly closed the door behind him. Vanille gripped the sweat-drenched sheets tighter and sooner than she expected bursted into tears.

**'Not everyone that lives a life is happy. But does that mean it's impossible to? No...Well that's what I always tell myself... But now I'm beginning to think, that's just a lie...Everything always has a price. Everything always has a cause and a resolution. It has been approximately five months since we have started living in the new world. Well, since I awoke in this world. Snow found me soon after and I've lived with him ever since. We found Dajh not too long after that. He was chasing after a flock of pigeons in a park nearby. When I saw him I quickly looked around for Sazh, but couldn't find him anywhere. Soon after Snow and I took in Dajh and kept him with us. We are still searching desperately for everyone else. But each night is a new sharp dagger jabbed into our hearts. Where was Fang? Lightning, Serah, Sazh, or even Yeul or Noel? Hope?... Hope.. He was the main reason it hurted more than anything. Snow had told me the millions of things he had done to make this all possible. He had told me Hope was the reason I still had a chance at a new beginning. "Sazh and Hope managed to save you and Fang from shattering in crystal stasis." he explain. "If you had shattered...well you know." the blonde man continued. "Anyway you in turn gave life to many other souls. Possibly even Serah, so thank you." he had finished. 'Yes.. Yes, Snow "a new life" Vanille rephrased and smiled.'**

...

"Dajh, go get big sis that cup of sugar over there." Vanille instructed as she pointed to the measuring cup on the kitchen counter top. Dajh who was sitting on the counter top with his feet dangling, quickly pulled himself up and began to crawl across to the other side of the counter. He picked the glass cup and began to make his way back.

"Egg yolks, syrup, butter, sugar... Sugar?" she looked to Dajh.

"Sugar." she continued as he handed her the small crystals. She looked to the living room; which was right in front of the kitchen. She had a perfect view of the flat screen t.v. and of the back of Snow's messy blonde hair.

"Snow, can we make strawberry flavor too?!" she asked standing on the tip of her toes reaching out for a rose shaped cupcake pan.

"Yeah, sure. Knock yourself out!" he called as he arose from his sit and walked into the kitchen.

"Yay us!" Vanille squealed and bounced up and down.

"Can I have some of the fluffy special stuff?" Dajh asked reclaiming his sit next to the glass bowl she was mixing ingredients in.

"I guess you can little guy." Snow said as he reached for the cupcake pan and handed it to Vanille.

"Thanks." she said while mixing. She giggled as she watched Dajh try to climb off the high counter, onto a chair and onto the ground.

"Your six, yet you look like your four or five, Dajh." she teased and placed the bowl on the counter to help him down.

"Maybe next time you can make some pancakes." Snow suggested while he walked to the refrigerator and opened it.

"Dajh." Vanille whispered to the little boy and motioned towards Snow with her head. The same mischievous grin grew wide on both of their faces. Snow not noticing their little interaction reached for a milk carton. He opened it and poured the contents straight into his mouth.

"Ahhhh!" Vanille screamed in a high-pitched voice. Snow caught off guard began to stopped.

"It's a-" she began, but was cut off by Dajh.

"I got it sis! I got it!" he yelled. A confused Snow looked around the room for the child. Not soon after did a roar of pain fill the room. Snow jumped and took hold of his barefoot in pain and dropped the milk carton in his hands. Dajh who had been the main cause of his pain did nothing, but stretch his small hands out in front of him. The milk carton fell right into his parted hands.

"What the-" Snow let out as he hopped on one foot when he noticed Dajh standing under him. Snow unable to balance himself on one foot crashed onto the refrigerator. Vanille bursted into fits of laughter, her hand soon after flew up to cover her 'o' shaped mouth as she watched in shock. The heavy whipping cream she had placed on top of the refrigerator was now on its way to spilling all over Dajh. Dajh stood right below Snow grinning even as the white liquid poured onto his fluffy afro. A light giggle escaped Vanille's mouth as she watched them both.

"What is wrong with you people. Haven't I-" Snow began, but paused when he heard a knock on the apartment door. They all turned to the door and made no moves to get it.

"I'll get it." Snow finally spoke after a few seconds. He straighten out and made his way to the door.

"Come on Dajh. I'll help you get washed off, okay?" Vanille said as she took the milk carton from his hands and lead him to the bathroom.

"Okay." he answered as he slipped his hand into hers.

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**'We didn't know if what we had heard was true or not, but atleast it was something to start with...'**

"Hurry up, Hope. You take years." Sazh demanded haste from the younger man.

"Who knows maybe they have a clue as to where Dajh might be." the forty-two year-old looking man continued.

"I'm coming. I coming." Hope replied as he locked the door to his hotel room.

"Are you sure what that lady told you was right?" Sazh asked taking hold of Chocolina as she hovered in front of him.

"Well, she only assured me that a man named Snow Villiers lived there, but..." Hope answered while he looked at a piece of paper with an address written on it.

"You hear that Chocolina? We might get to see Dajh again." Sazh spoke to the chocobo chick petting her.

"She said some "girl" was living with him as well. I can only presume that "girl" would be Serah.." he sighed frustration clearly over took his handsome features.

**'If only finding everyone else was this easy...When I awoke, Sazh wasn't there to greet me nor was anyone else. I had to dig up information on his location. What surprised me the most was Dajh was not with him. So my only guess was he was searching for his son as well as everyone else. That only brought up the question; was everyone else still looking as well?'**

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"A bubble bath!" Vanille called out cheerfully. Dajh, who was hiding behind the beige towel she was holding up, was getting undressed.

"Yeah!" the child agreed excitedly. Vanille couldn't help herself and giggled again at the sight of Dajh's afro.

"We'll get your hair all washed up. Ooooh wanna get your magic Mister Ducky in here?" she asked.

"Yes! Yes, please!" Dajh answered as he made his way to the bubble-filled tub.

"Alright then, stay there while I go find him, okay?" she instructed as she arose to her feet.

"Uhm..I think I'll take these off for now." she said as she paused near the sink. She quickly started to unbuckle a belt that hanged low on her hips with fountain-like rows of beads and white feathers. Slipping off her black knee-high lace-up boots, she walked barefooted out the bathroom and left the door opened just enough to hear Dajh if he ever were to call out for her.

"Snow, where is Dajh's rubber duck?" she yelled out as she made her way to her room. She searched frantically for the squeaky toy in a small box of toys Snow had bought Dajh. Soon after she sighed in frustration, one slender red eyebrow arched as she placed her elbow in her palm and tapped her temple, thinking. After a few more seconds she gave up and decided to go ask Snow again. Surprised that he hadn't answered her before she walked into the living room.

"Sno-" she began, but froze in place her mouth parted slightly as she gawked at the sight in front of her.

"Vanille!" called out the forty-two year-old looking man.

"Sazh!" she finally managed to get the words out of her mouth. She bounded forward and took him in a huge embrace. She felt him gently pat her on the head.

**'Yes, watching life go by was a whole different experience. Actually having contact with those people, priceless.'**

"I can't believe it's you. Is it really?" she said as she pulled back arm's-length to get a better look at the man.

"You better believe it." Sazh answered taking her back into another hug. Then she heard a peep escape his afro and out popped the chocobo chick. She smiled at it and cupped it in her hands.

"Oh, Vanille then is the "girl" the lady was talking about." another male voice spoke close by. Turning back she looked to find Snow and another man standing not too far off watching them. Tilting her head to the side and squinting her eyes, Vanille recognised the hair.

"Hope?" she questioned and took a few steps towards him. The chocobo chick chripped happy as it landed back on Sazh's afro.

"The one and only." Snow answered for him and smacked said Hope on the back of his left shoulder. Hope just nodded and smiled.

"Ohhh!" is all she let out as she launched herself at him. Wrapping her arms around his torso. Hope stepped back to balance himself for Vanille had almost knocked him off his feet. He struggled and didn't know what to do, but no sooner did he wrap his arms around her and hugged her back.

**'At first, I didn't know what to do... Hope...Hope.. Hope was here. He was here, standing in my arms. The boy I had known in the past was now a grown man. I had watched him myself grow into a very powerful man. Hope had slightly longer hair now. He was wearing a long-sleeved yellow and white coat with a light blue necktie and a dress shirt inside. He wore light gray pants and black boots with buckled straps. Was this some kind of uniform? Oh yeah, I think I saw him once wear this. Of course, I was in crystal stasis at the time.**

"It's been so long..." she began, but couldn't finish because tears escaped her emerald eyes and her voice gave in. Hope refused to say anything for fear of his voice betraying him was undeniably impeccable.

"Look who's taller now, huh?" she teased pulling back.

"Hmph, yeah." he mustered and smiled nervously. Soon after Dajh's voice snapped everyone's attention to the bathroom.

"Sis!?" Dajh voice called from behind the bathroom door.

"Oh no." Vanille murmured and took off to the bathroom. Snow, Hope, and a desperate father took off after her. She rushed into the room to find Dajh sitting in the tub with water up to his small chest and his face peeking out from behind an enormous amount of bubbles. Vanille stood in front of the tub with her hands on her hips.

"Let me guess. You "accidentally" spilled the bubbles soap?" she scold, laughing. Then she sat down on the edge of the tub. Soon after Hope, Snow, and Sazh stumbled into the small room.

"Daddy!" Dajh called out as soon as he came into view.

"Dajh!" Sazh let out and moved to the boy. He kneeled down next to the tub and hugged him for dear life. Then the chocobo chick peeked its small head out of Sazh's afro and peeped with excitement.

"Ah!" Vanille let out as the water splashed and soaked her upper half.

"Heyyy!" she said defensively. A mischievous grin crept up her mouth and she slowly scooped some water with her left hand.

"Watch out!" she yelled playfully and splashed water on both Dajh and Sazh.

"Heeey!" Sazh said slashing water back at her. She giggled as she tried to block the water with her forearms.

"Help me Dajh!" he encouraged the little boy to join in.

"Nooo!" Vanille let out as she made for a bowl she usually used to pour water on Dajh. Falling on her rear she turned to Snow and Hope, who were lost in fits of laughter. She narrowed her eyes at them and then a mischievous grin etched its way, once again, on her wet face. Flipping her drenched red bangs from her eyes, she arose and grabbed the bowl she had dropped when she fell. Scooping a large amount of water in it, she lashed out on them. Taken by surprise, Hope, who got the most of it, gasped as the water clashed with his torso. Snow quickly blocked himself with his right forearm and pulled back into the hallway. Now it was Vanille's turn to laugh as she watched them. Chuckling victoriously, she quickly dropped the bowl back into the tub and made for her escape. Ducking past Hope and a kneeling Sazh. She lurched out through the bathroom door.

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Vanille quickly slammed the door shut behind her giggling. Snow had tried to tackle her down, but had failed miserably. She gasped for air and with the back of her hand, brushed her plastered bangs out of her eyes.

"Oh you got it BIG Vanille! Get this door opened!" he demanded bluffing.

"No way!" Vanille called back giggling and then sinked onto the floor with her back to the door.

"Alright then, but you know I'll get you next time!" she listened as chuckling could be heard from the other males in the corridor. Snow then let out a sigh of desperation.

"Agrh, gotta get to work!" he let out annoyed. She listened as his next words came from farther into the apartment.

"Vanille, I need you to go to the store again!" he called out.

"Aww what!?" Vanille called back annoyance in her voice.

"Yup." came his voice closer now.

"And anyway you need to go grocery shopping remember?" he teased. She had lost a bet two weeks ago and her payment was to do the grocery shopping for two weeks straight.

"That's not fair, you always make a big list!" she complained. She quickly arose and flinged the door open.

"Well, deal with it kid." he emphasised the last word a bit. He now stood in front of her door shirtless. He gave her a delighted smirk and proceeded to slipping his black turtleneck shirt over his messy hair and head. She looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

"Hey not to worry. I'll take Dajh off your hands for that." Sazh announced stepping out of the bathroom carrying Dajh wrapped in the beige towel from before.

"But he HELPS me!" she let out turning her annoyance at Sazh now. Sazh quickly held up one hand in defense, for the other hand gripped Dajh. She then sighed in frustration.

"It's okay...I'm sorry I spoke to you that way." she apologized for her actions and waved a lazy hand at him before turning around and heading back to her room.

"I can go with her?" Hope spoke peeking his head into the hallway from the bathroom. He tossed the small hand towel he had used to dry himself into a small dirty clothes bin and looked to Sazh, Dajh, and Snow.

"Well, if you got time?" Snow asked slipping his black leather boots on and tapping his toes on the floor to insure comfort.

"I mean, I got nothing better to do." he answered scratching the back of his head nervously.

"I'm sure you wanna spend sometime to catch-up with Dajh, right?" he continued directing his question to Sazh. Who stood looking to the room Vanille had walked into with concern.

"Yeah,... I would like that." he answered half absently.

"Alright then!" Snow began, clashing his now gloved fists together.

"It's settled. Vanille!" he called off as he walked to her room.

"Hey Hope asked if it's okay for him to take Dajh's place and help you out with your "chore". He emphasised the last word again.

"Really?" Vanille asked her cheerful self once again. She was standing near the closet looking for new clothes to replace her soaked ones.

"Yeah, I mean, if you want?" Hope asked standing near Snow now.

"Oh that would be great!" she squealed and pumped a fist in the air.

"Let's do it then!" she cheered with a new wave of determination in her voice.

"Alright you guys do that then. I gotta go!" Snow yelled rushing out of the room. Vanille raised a hand over her mouth as she giggled at him.

"Uhm, I'll be out in a minute, okay? I have to get dressed." she spoke with a sheepishly smile on her face.

"Oh oh right. I'll wait for you outside." Hope answered almost embarrassed that he was just standing there. He then walked to the door, opened it, he turned once more to look at her.

"Caio." she chirped. Raising both hands up in the air and bending them twice. This he took as a shooing motion and quickly closed the door behind him.

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**'What was it that drew me crazy when I am near her?... It's almost like my feelings for her were always kept aside. Frozen in time just like she was. All those years, waiting for this moment. She knew what to do, when I was lost, when I saw my mother die. She stood like a pillar, high in the air. Showing me the way, guiding me. Was it her smile? No... Everything about her...Everything.'**

"You okay?" Sazh asked concerned. He was standing at the bathroom doorway.

"Yeah, everything is fine." Hope quickly answered. He nodded his head reassuringly.

"Okay then, come on Dajh let's get you dressed." he began and moved to open the door to Vanille's room.

"Come on Chocolina." he called upon the small chocobo as she peeked out from under a pile of clothes.

"Ah,... she's getting dressed in there." Hope added looking away knowing he was definitely blushing.

"Oh?" Sazh said looking to the closed-door questionably.

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As soon as Hope closed the door behind him,Vanille began to slip out of her pink halter top. Quickly finding a black bra in her drawers, she put it on. She then sighed disappointed when she noticed her orange-yellow skirt hadn't managed to escape the water fight. She looked through a bag she had of new clothes. She hadn't used any of it yet and happily cheered when she found something suitable. Ramming her barefoot into a pair of moss-green cargo short-shorts, she then tossed her skirt onto the corner of the room. Making a mental note to take that out later. Then frantically began her search for a shirt. Tossing almost everything she came in contact with, she finally found something.

"Found you!"she cheered triumphantly. Hastily, she ducked into a pink tank top with a red flower design on it. Then she looked around for a sweater.

"Aha, living room." she told herself remembering where she had left it last. She then headed for the door, but pivoted on her heel and took off back to Dajh's drawers. Grabbing a white t-shirt and denim jeans for the small six year-old, she then headed back to the door. She threw the jeans and t-shirt over her right shoulder and tugged off her small pigtail hair ties. Biting on a black hair tie, she used one hand to hold back the hair she had pulled back into one curly high ponytail and opened the door with the other.

"Hemmr aa themm clotheee fooo Dahhh." she mumbled trying not to drop the hair tie in her mouth. Sazh, who had waited with Dajh still in his arm's raised a dark eyebrow, confused. Hope who had been leaning on the wall near her door stepped forward and grabbed the hair tie from her lips.

"Thanks." she let out with a smile. Fixing her hair with both hands she shrugged her shoulder at Sazh.

"Here are the clothes for Dajh." she repeated sheepishly and stretched her hand out to Hope, who handed her the hair tie.

"Thank you." she said again tying her hair up. Then she grabbed the clothes off her shoulder.

"Snow went out of his way and brought Dajh a few things while he stayed with us." she smiled warmly and handed Sazh the clothes.

"Thanks Missy." he said and turned to walk back into the bathroom.

"I'll thank him when he has the time." he added pointing a thumb at Snow's room.

"You can dress him in my room if that helps." Vanille offered before he walked into the bathroom, Sazh nodded.

"Alright." he said as he turned yet again and headed into the room, closing the door behind him. Chocolina who had decided Hope was a good landing spot, chirped excitedly, which caught Vanille's attention.

"Come on I'll get you dried up." she giggled taking the chick from Hopes left shoulder.

"I didn't know you were like that." she teased the small chick, who now seemed to have a serious mohawk business.

"Oh, that was Snow's fault." Hope butted in. Vanille turned her attention to him. She smiled at him and watched him for a few seconds.

"Vanille?" Hope asked after a while.

"Huh?" she answered waking up from her inactive state.

"You okay?" he asked.

**'Somehow, I knew deep inside me, I felt so happy Hope was here. Not in a normal friend-like matter, but I decided to push it aside.'**

"Yeah, fine." Vanille answered bubbly.

"Vanille!" called out Snow. His voice came from the room next door. Placing Chocolina on her left shoulder, Vanille peeked into Snow's room.

"Where is my lunch box?!" the older man asked panicked.

"It's in the refrigerator?" she answered arching her right eyebrow confused. Snow quickly raced past her and into the kitchen. He found his lunch box and then headed out the door.

"Wait! No 'byes'?" she asked. Hope now stood besides her and watched quietly.

"Argh, say 'bye' to Sazh and Dajh for me, yeah?" he directing his question at Hope, who nodded reassuringly.

"See ya!" he saluted with a wink and ducked out the front door.

Vanille and Hope stood there for a minute after he left. Then Vanille jumped, startling Hope.

"Raspberries, I forgot to ask for the money for the groceries!" she complained, Hope chuckled. 'She really hasn't changed a bit.' Hope thought to himself as he watched the nineteen year-old pace around, thinking.

**'She may have changed clothes, worlds, or even bodies, but she was still Vanille. She was still the one I fell for the second I saw her. The one who was my eyes when I couldn't see.**

Next chapter; Hope and Vanille crash the store.

I would really appreciate it if you guys would let me know what you guys think. Feel free to PM me or leave a review, positive or negative, it all counts. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Just for fun, I thought I should just let you guys know. This chapter was inspired by a song, The Man Who Can't be Moved, by The Script. Well atleast Snow's life, Ha! Thanks for reading. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, but the word play, sadly. *sobs*

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Chapter 2: The Man with the Mask

**'Sure Snow had to leave, because he really just had to get a hold of himself. It wasn't that he was going to be late...He just needed a reason to run away... He really needs Serah...We just haven't found her yet..."Just hold on for a little bit longer..."'**

"I think I need to get strawberries. What do you think, Dajh?" Vanille asked as her head peeked out of the refrigerator. Dajh was once again on the kitchen counter, but this time Sazh stood right beside him. Holding the small child up, he watched her as she used a plastic wrap to cover the top of the glass bowl with ingredients half-mixed inside.

"Yeah! And blue berries!" Dajh replied as he too watched her. She quickly finished up and washed her hands.

"If your good, I promise to bring back something fun to eat." the red-haired girl spoke heading for the living room. Chocolina who was hovering over Dajh, flew over to Vanille's shoulder, flapping her little wings as she went.

"Hmm, something fun? What exactly?" Sazh asked arching his left brow at her. She giggled and began to look around the large room for something.

"I dunno. Cookies perhaps?" she said tossing around most of what seemed to be Snow's dirty clothes. The small chick did her best to remain on her shoulder as she moved around. Vanille then jumped onto a black-leather couch and leaned over it to have a look in the back.

"Where did I leave it?" she mumbled to herself.

"Peep, peep!" Chocolina peeped happily.

"Aha!" she said jumping off the couch. She walked over to a walk-in closet near the door and pulled its small door aside. Pulling out a moss-green cashmere sweater that hanged on a single white hanger; she slipped it on over her head. The hood, that was hidden inside its neck hole, revealed to be decorated with white fur. Adjusting two lace strings that came out from the hood, she turned to Dajh and Sazh.

"Well?" she asked spinning around once, Sazh watched her skeptically. Soon after Chocolina landed on Dajh's afro and chirped excitedly.

"I know right?" Vanille spoke to the small chick and then giggled. She tugged on the form-fitting sweater to adjust its pockets.

"It's not that different from your last outfit." Sazh joked. She placed her hands on her hips, faking annoyance.

"I think you look great." Hope spoke stepping out from the corner of the hallway in front of the bathroom. Vanille smiled at him thankfully and then turned away blushing furiously.

"You probably should pull that sweater down lower though, it's going to get cold out. " Sazh advised pointing to her half-exposed navel.

"Hmph, I'll be fine." she said waving him off. She walked past Hope into the bathroom and grabbed her feather-beaded belt and donned it around her hips. Fountain-like rows of beads rained down half-an-inch from the ground. Giving an illusion of a waterfall trailing behind her. She pulled her black knee-high lace-up boots back on and almost ran face-first into Hope, as she exited the bathroom.

"Oh, sorry." he said stepping a few steps back.

"Ready?" she asked lively.

"Yeah,.." was all he could say as he looked her over.

"Fur? Beads?" he grinned at the overly excited girl.

"Don't you say a thing." she threatened playfully and turned to walk back into the kitchen.

"Hey, the feathers are new?" he continued his teasing. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

**'What is it that causes me to act the way I do around her. Almost like a child... A little boy... I sometimes feel like a my fourteen year-old self is just locked up inside this older man's body.'**

"Alright, we'll be back in an hour or two." Vanille announced as she made her way back to the walk-in closet. She grabbed a light-brown sling bag and swung it over her head. The bag was decorated with safety pins and patches of different fabrics with butterfly designs on it. Then she watched as Sazh took Dajh back into his arms and walked over to her. Standing by the door, she smiled as they approached.

"I'll bring you something, watch me. Even if Daddy here disapproves." she said motioning with the back of her hand to Sazh. Giggling she leaned in closer and rubbed her nose with Dajh's.

"Anyways, we both need something yummy for our tummy, right Dajh?" she asked pulling back.

"Yeah!" Dajh cheered smiling towards her.

"Alright, let's do this handsome!" she cheered energetically. Hope, who at some point, had taken his coat off swung it over his left shoulder and stood flabbergasted. Had she really just said what he thought he heard.

"Giddy-up slow-poke!" she called out before opening the door and gracefully skipping out. Hope looked to Sazh, who just shrugged at him and motioned towards the door.

"I got the door, alright?" he assured him and patted him on his shoulder as he gently pushed him out the door. Vanille then skidded to an abrupt halt in front of a wide glass window in the corridor.

"It looks like the Sun will be out for a while." she commented on the weather. Was she really just going to comment on his physical appearance and then cover it up with a new comment on the weather? Hope thought to himself then shrugged and walked up next to her.

"Atleast, there's a Sun." he said standing nearby, he could smell the fresh scent of roses on her. She smiled brightly at him.

"So? Let's get going?" she asked. Hope nodded and began to lead the way to his car.

**'Why on all the day's of my life had I slipped-up today! Why me!?Why me!? Wasn't it enough that I kept blushing every second today, that I just had to let my tongue loose ?'**

The drive to the store was fairly quiet. Vanille had commented on a few people they had run into and then had happily given Hope directions to the nearest grocery store.

"So,.. Vanille?" Hope began as they entered the large store. He pushed a cart in front of him as he spoke. Vanille lightly skipped ahead of him with her hands folded behind her back. He watched her as the lightly beaded skirt behind her swayed from side-to-side.

"Yes?" she asked turning her head back to look at him. Her green eyes, like a meadow, like grass and leaves that had once filled their surroundings in Grand Pulse. Hope couldn't help, but smile at the memory.

"Daydreaming already?" she asked tilting her head to the side. Her curly ponytail bounced as she moved.

"No, not really." he answered chuckling softly.

"Hey?" she called out faintly. He looked to her and froze when he watched her hand brush a single silver strand of his hair out of his eyes.

"What is it? Was it Snow?" she asked, her composure completely serious.

"No, no not at all...Vanille, how did you happen to come across Snow?" He asked curiously. She watched him for a few seconds and then smiled. She turned around and began to skip again. He slowly pushed the cart next to her.

"Snow was kind of lost within himself when I first found him...He was...let's just say 'camping' outside...waiting for his Serah. Atleast that's what he told me."she giggled and looked up to the large ceiling dreamily.

"I watched him do that for a while...sit out there, in the rain, in the sun." she sighed.

"But after a week, I couldn't bear it any more. I promised to help him find her and that I would dedicate all my time to it. After that he showed me his apartment. He told me I was welcome to stay there, he offered me a home. The room I'm staying at right now, was actually ment for Lightning. We both look forward to the day we finally find them..." she then came to a halt.

"Aha, orange juice!" she said grabbing a carton of orange juice and placing it in the cart.

"You made 'my' day Hope. If you and Sazh hadn't come today... " she pause and looked down to her hands, which were folded in front of her. She avoided any eye contact with him for a few seconds.

"I really look forward to the day we finally are all together. The day I get to see Fang again... I miss her. I missed you.." she murmured the last words. This time it was Hope's turn. He automatically walked over to her and took her in his arms. Holding her tight, holding her for only a few seconds...Not caring about anyone around them.

"Whoopsie." Vanille finally said pulling away. He watched her brush fresh tears from her pink cheeks.

"Pfft! That's not good." she pouted and quickly smiled up at him.

"I'm okay!" she assured nodding her head vigorously. He didn't know if she was trying to convince him or herself.

"You shouldn't-" he began, but didn't finish because she bounded away.

"Here's the milk!" she called out cheery.

**'Why is she running? Why can't she let me be there for her?' **

Without a second thought, Hope quickly seized the moment. When her hand touched the side of the cart he took it in his. It all brought back a memory from before. Back then when he was fourteen, when they had been made L'Cie, he had been the cause for one of her rare anger outbreaks. She had taken his hand the way he was doing now.

"Vanille, don't run from it. It's okay to cry, don't hold it in." he said looking into her green orbs. She smiled warmly at him. They walking around the store collecting everything on the list not saying a word, just working together. Then finally Vanille came to a sudden stop in front of a isle where they were supposed to had been collecting the strawberries.

"Hope? What do you do now? I mean like-" she began and he raised a hand to stop her from going on.

"I'm working with my father in his institute for students that wish to major in science." he said smiling.

"That explains the uniform." she said playfully pulling on his blue tie.

"Yeah," he answered with a smile.

"And where are you and Sazh staying at now?" she asked skipping over to pick a box of strawberries.

"Right now, we are staying at a hotel nearby. We weren't really expecting to stay that long. With me, working my dad's shift in the weekdays and Sazh working as a pilot in the airport downtown. We barely have time for anything." he sighed disappointed.

"Yeah, but you had time to come and look for Dajh and Snow?" she spoke turning her head back to smile at him. He resisted the urge to go and wrap his arms around her.

"And you." he added grinning at her.

"Yes, and me." she nodded.

"I really want to make it up to Snow." Vanille suddenly began.

"But I need to get a job and all to get off his back, first. I need to get on my own feet to help him up too." she said holding a fist in front of her in determination.

"I can help with that." Hope said standing behind her with his hands on his hips. A wicked grin grew on Vanille's small mouth.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked arching her slender red brows.

"Well, we can work on your computer skills for a little while whenever you have time. Then maybe we can start putting in applications for a job later?" he suggested shrugging like if it was all a piece of cake for him.

""""""""""""""""""""""

**'I couldn't break,... Atleast not in front of him...'**

"So now he needs new shirts." Vanille finished explaining to an old woman, in her late seventies, why she was buying men t-shirts. Hope chuckled as he watched her.

"And is that him?" the old woman asked pointing to Hope.

"No, that's one of my other friends." Vanille answered innocently. She turned to Hope, who stood a little ways off ahead, and raised her index finger. Hope took it as a signal for 'Gimme a minute', and continued to laugh at the girl. She was so innocent, she couldn't even turn back nosy people. They had just finished shopping and had dropped off all the groceries in his car. Unfortunately, they still weren't done. They still had to get a few things like hand soap and laundry detergents and Snow's famous 'White T-shirts'. Bouncing happily, Vanille then joined him.

"I got them!" she squealed in triumphant. He chuckled once again and nodded.

"I can see that." he answered holding the door open for her. She turned and skipped out gleefully. Shaking his head he followed closely after her.

"She was just curious as to why I was getting men clothes." Vanille began.

"Yeah,.. Uhm, Vanille I think I have to teach you a little something." he said pulling her to the side still chuckling.

"Listen, if someone asks about what you're buying, you must always say this." he said gasping, preparing himself, like he was going to say a long sentence.

"That is none of your concern." he let out lamely, Vanille frown.

"But that's mean." she complained pouting.

"Yes, but it also saves you time and has you doing less talking." he said smiling and motioning for her to start walking towards the car.

"Yeah, but-" she began as she started walking, Hope close at her heel.

"Oh look," she gasped coming to a sudden halt. This caused him to nearly crush her as he ran into her petite back.

"Oww," she simply let out and then grabbed him by his arm. Bouncing up and down, she pointed at an ice cream shop nearby.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Snow"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

**'I think I've waited long enough, right Serah? Where are you baby?..."**

"Hey Snow, you okay?" asked Skylor, one of his closest friends at work.

"Hmm?" Snow answered absently. This infuriate his dark-hair friend.

"That's all you been saying for the past eight hours!" he yelled at him. Then when he noticed Snow had no idea as to what he was saying he smacked the blonde up-side his head.

"Listen to me you walking dead!" he let out annoyed. Finally snapping out of it, Snow chuckled to himself.

"Sorry man, lots of things have been coming at me all at once today." he excused himself lamely. Training his ashy grey eyes on Snow, Skylor shook his head in utter disappointment.

"Your weak, Snow." he let out.

"You think Serah would still want to marry someone like you?" He asked trying to rally his sadly looking friend. Skylor was the only friend besides,Vanille, who knew about his search for Serah. Taking by surprise Snow looked up from the piece of wood he was working on. His face shown his complete emotions, downright doubtful.

"Agrh, do I have to call Vanille again?" he asked furrowing his black eyebrows.

"Because this is worser then watching you when your drunk. " he continued as he tossed the piece of work he was doing aside.

"Nah, I'm fine." Snow answered returning to his work.

"That piece will bring nothing, but sorrow to anyone who buys it." Skylor joked and began to let his raven-black ponytail down to re-tie it.

"You should probably-"he began but fell silent when an old man entered the room, their manager.

"Snow?" the older man called out rubbing a hand over his tired face.

"I got a special job that just came in and I want you to take over it, okay?" he instructed. Skylor rolled his eyes and tying his hair up higher he began a shoulder-roll stretch. Snow shook his head at his friend.

"Sure boss, when will the details be ready?" he asked.

"Stop by my office after that carving and you can get the details and leave early today."

"Alright, sure thing Matt. Thanks." Snow called out after the man as he walked back out the room.

"I know he's cool and all, but man. He has to do something about that frown of his." Skylor said grinning.

"Yeah huh? I know what you mean." Snow joked pointing a gloved finger at his face and mimicked Matt's frown. They both broke into fits of laughter.

""""""""""""""""""""""

"What would you like, miss?" a smiling girl asked Vanille from behind the ice cream counter.

"Hmm?" she thought aloud. She placed her elbow in her hand and tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"What would you like, Hope?" she asked cocking her head to the side. She watched the quiet man curiously.

"I think I'll have a Vanilla flavored cone." he automatically answered. His teal colored eyes looked to Vanille.

"You?"

"I think, I'll stick with my favorite, a normal Strawberry ice cream cone." she replied and giggled. Motioning him to come closer, he leaned in with his ear to her. She skipped closer and whispered in his ear.

"Eww, I can't believe you like Vanilla ice cream." she teased and pulled away laughing. Hope arched a single eyebrow at her.

"What's wrong with Vanilla ice cream?" he asked standing up straight.

"It's Vanilla ice cream, that's what's wrong with it." she answered grinning.

"And what about Strawberry?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"What _about _ Strawberry ice cream?" she countered smirking.

"Vanilla is the best ice cream flavour you could ever have." he protested a grin growing on him too.

"No Strawberry is!" she began her hands on her hips.

"Nuh-uh!" he opposed.

"Yuh-uh!" she argued against him.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yes, it is!" she said pointing a finger at him in a threatening manner.

"No it's not!" he risked grinning even more as she was rallied up. She was so amusing when mad.

"Here you go." the girl behind the counter interrupted, startling them both.

"Ahem. Thank you." Hope spoke stepping up to the counter to grab the cones. Then without another word headed for the exit. With Vanille stomping close behind him. Once they were outside he turn to her.

"Here." he said stretching the hand with the Vanilla cone at her. She stared at the cone trying to set it on fire with her eyes.

"Oh well," he finally said taking a big bite from her strawberry cone.

"Hey!" she protested and bounded forward.

"That ones mine!" she complained and took it from him.

"You troll!" she said playfully elbowing him. Then she licked the cone as it began to melt and started to skip back to the car. She then stopped and turned to him, beckoning him to come closer.

"Let's not tell Dajh we had ice cream without him, alright.?" she whispered in his ear. Hope arched an eyebrow at her, she in turn giggled.

"What? We can't have him getting mad at me before he leaves, now can we?" she pouted.

"Come on you." he said grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her to the car.

"""""""""""""""""

"Alright, this is the design. The client wants it ready in two weeks-max." Snow's manager instructed. Snow grabbed the pictures and began to scan through them.

"And does he or she have a name and a phone number?" he asked not taking his eyes away from the pictures.

"Ah, yes. Uhm..I had her number around here somewhere." the old man began as he looked around his desk.

"Aha, she only left her last name and her number. Here it is." he said pulling the paper from under a stack of blank printer sheets and handed it to Snow. Snow froze in place, his heart almost popped right out of his chest as he stood there staring at the letters on the paper.

"Farron; 943-755-0754" his manager read aloud from a copy of the paper.

"""""""""""""""""

Next Chapter: Could it be, Snow will no longer have to live his life without the woman he loves? Could this really be her? Which one of the Farron sisters could this be? Or could it be that neither of them is this 'costumer'?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: You know it already. *bats eyelashes*

Author's Rant: You guys are going to hate me. *crouches down and cowers in fear* (*whispers* "I'm stalling.")

Please, let me know what you guy's think.. Oh and by the way I really don't know if this chapter should be rated M or T *shrugs* just thought I should let you guy's know.

* * *

Chapter 3: What's Next?

Snow inhaled calmly as he stepped out of Matt's office. Many times he had stepped out enraged and others fascinated, but today...

Today, Snow had a huge grin on his face.

**'The feeling of a rejuvenated hope,...indescribable.'**

Snow quickly began to collect his things. Placing everything in a duffel bag he usually carried. Dusting himself off, he grabbed the keys to his Kawasaki Ninja 1000.

"Hey, you're leaving early too?" asked Snow as he walked down the few steps that lead into the big wood carving shop.

"Yup, I'm out of this joint." Skylor cheered as he readied his motorcycle and helmet.

"Really?"

"Yup-yup, so, you stopped by Matt's?" Skylor asked loosening his high ponytail. His jet-black hair fell down to his shoulders. He swiped his hand across his face to brush his side-swept bangs out of his eyes. Then he waited for Snow's answer before ducking into his black helmet.

"Yeah, I did actually. It looks like this new job is bringing me one step closer to finding Serah." he spoke almost not believing the words coming from his mouth. Skylor quickly convened a half-cocky grin and nodded towards Snow.

"Good to know someone is going to have a brighter future." he congratulated as he began to duck his head into his helmet.

"Hey Sky, wanna go for a run!?" Snow called out to him before he placed the helmet completely on. Arching a brow, Skylor's stormy clouds looked to Snow with a daring challenge. Thinking about it he bit down on his lip.

"Alright then." he finally agreed. He turned his head to look ahead of them, down the street.

"Let's race to your place?" he asked with a side grin.

"You're sooo on!" Snow let out, pointing his index finger at him as he walked over to mount his bike. Skylor continued to grin as he felt a wave of adrenaline take over his entire body. Snow smirked, tightening the adjustable strap of his duffel tighter to his chest. He inhaled deeply as the motorcycle roared to life.

"Let's do this!" he yelled over the sound of the loud revving engines.

Then they both took off at the same time, racing dangerously down the wide streets.

"""""""""""""""""

**'Why is **_**he **_**always trying to lead!'**

"I have the keys!" Vanille complained playfully as she step in front of him to get the door to the apartment. Stepping aside, he rolled his eyes and smiled.

"We're back!" Vanille called out as soon as she opened the door. She placed her bags near the door where the only light that illuminated the apartment came from the hallway outside.

"Where is the light switch?" Hope asked his voice came from behind her.

"Umm, there are no switches that work. We use lamps." she explained her voice could be heard farther into the apartment as she moved around in the dark.

"Ouch!" she yelled out. Hope panicked and moved into the room blindly.

"You okay?" he asked as he followed her voice.

"Yeah, I am okay. It's just this-" she began. She sounded like she was struggling with something.

"Maybe, I should-" he began, but stepped on something squishy and lost his footing. There was a loud 'thump' as he tripped and fell on his back.

"Hope you heard-" Vanille began as she moved to the side where the noise had come from, but tripped on someone's feet and hit the floor too.

"Ho- " was all she heard as the person under her got the air knocked out of them. She remained still, first thinking she had falling on a dead corpse, but was startled when it began to move.

"Vanille, you fell on me. Can't you please stop crushing me?" he tried his best to make it sound nice. As much as he enjoyed feeling her touch, he really didn't do 'I'm a squishy sit. Please sit on me'.

"Oh, that was you!" she nearly yelled as she flipped over and pushed herself off of him.

"Sorry." she finally let out when she was on her feet. Appreciating the absence of the light because she knew her cheeks would have given her away, she reached her hand out to him and pulled. Blindly, he took her hand grateful and got to his feet. Just then the loud exhaustion of a motorcycle came in from the window, which she knew was in the left wall near the couch. Thankful that Sazh had forgotten to close it, she moved to its side. 'If you find the window, you find the lamp.' she told herself.

"That must be Snow." she guessed when she finally reached the window. She frantically began her search for the lamp with her hands.

"Where did it go?" she asked herself aloud.

"Where did what go?" asked a confused Hope somewhere nearby.

"The lamp, it should have been somewhere around here." she continued feeling her way through.

**'Thanks to your shadows, Vanille eyes couldn't see my face... Not like I actually wanted her to.'**

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Snow slowed down as he approached the apartment complex and waved to Skylor, who was not too far behind. When the race had started, three streets down, Snow had managed to slip by, just as the light turned red he had zoomed on. That alone had given him the extra boost he needed. Skylor would had definitely beaten him if it hadn't been for that light. Chuckling, Snow parked in his usual spot and grinned at Skylor as he parked parallel to him.

"Wipe that ridiculous grin off your face, Ice Popsicle!" Skylor threatened with a smirk of his own.

"What? Can't accept defeat?" Snow teased as he hanged his helmet on the side of the bike and began to dismount.

"Defeat! That was not even close, you cheat!" Skylor opposed.

"Right, right." Snow answered laughing.

"Hey isn't that Vanille?" Skylor asked as he watched Vanille and Hope get out of a black BMW coupé.

"Oh yeah, their back. Hmm, they took that long to go to the groceries?" Snow thought aloud. Skylor raised his left brow.

"You know the guy?" he asked motioning towards Hope.

"Oh yeah, Hope is one of our special family members." Snow replied as they both watched the two. Vanille giggled as she tried to carry something heavy. Hope in turn, just took everything from her. Soon after, they left to the apartment. Snow and Skylor watched as Hope left the back hood open to come back.

"She reminds me so much of my sister... Hey, Vanille is nineteen right?" Skylor asked a ready-to-go Snow.

"Yeah she is, but sometimes I feel the need to protect her, you know? From the world? From herself..." he answered absently.

**'She makes me feel like an older brother... I guess I finally understand how you felt Lightning... And how you always wanted to keep her safe, Fang...'**

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Kat is no older than Vanille. She turns nineteen in the next four months." Skylor spoke shaking his head.

"Alright then, I'll leave you now. I gotta go see how she's doing at home." he continued. With that he placed his black helmet over his now messy hair and waved a lazy hand at him before taking off. Snow waved 'goodbye' and then turned his attention to Hope's car.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"I'm back!" whispered Snow to the dark as he stepped into the pitch-black apartment.

"Snow?" called a voice somewhere inside. He arched a brow at the circumstances.

"Why are the lights out?" he asked stepping into the apartment. He took a few steps in and then regretfully cursed under his breath.

He listened as a girly giggled came from the other end of the apartment.

"Found you!" Vanille yelled in triumph. Soon after, the large room was illuminated by a single lamp in a corner of the room. Vanille covered her mouth and resisted the urge to blow up in laughter. Snow had fallen over one of Dajh's toys and now laid kissing-floor with a mess of grocery bags all around him.

"Need some help?" Hope asked as he began to pick some of the things that had spilled out all over the wooden floor.

"Dajh!" Snow called infuriated. A loud yawn came from Sazh, who had slept through everything. He stretched and looked around, sluggish from sleep. Dajh, who also had been sleeping, mimicked his father, yawned, and looked around. This caused Vanille to laugh even louder. Hope also began to laugh as he too watched them both.

"What? The kids went crazy again, huh?" Sazh asked rubbing the sleep off his eyes.

"How long you been sleeping?" Snow asked raising a solemn eyebrow.

"Not too long." he answered taking Dajh into his arms.

"Well that's great because I got something bi-" Snow began put suddenly stopped.

"What?" Vanille asked skipping over to help him up.

**'Should I tell them... Should I put them through the risk of breaking their hope?...What should I do Serah?...They're family after all...'**

"I got something important to share with you guy's...As a family." he finished quietly.

"But let's get everything inside first, okay?" Hope quickly spoke up after him.

"Alright, I love surprises!" Vanille squealed and bounced up and down.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Noel""""""""""""""""""""""""

**'Well, so what we all get a second chance at life? My life is nothing without my Yeul...I have to find everyone and I have to find my Yeul...'**

Noel listened as the loud exhaust of a motorcycle approached the house, closer and closer, stopping at the parking spot outside.

**'If it hadn't been for your crazy idea, Fang.'**

_Fifty-six minutes ago...-(Flashback)_

"Oh come on. I just want a drink!" Fang complained as she tried her best to get Noel and Yuj to let her go to the bar down the street.

"We are not going to go there Fang. I mean come on...why do you need a drink anyway?" Yuj asked arching a brow at the strong-minded woman in front of him.

"Ha, you'd think he had a brain." she insulted the feathery blue hair man.

"Alright alright, already. We'll go, but only for one drink, okay?" Noel spoke.

"Who died and made you king?" Fang asked her hands on her hips and her weight shifted to one side.

"Anyway who said anything about a "we". I don't remember inviting anyone?" she continued. "She could really be a kick on the rear sometimes." Noel thought to himself.

"Hey, we ain't kids you can boss, Fang." Yuj said stepping up.

"Oh really? Last time I checked, I was the one thousand year-old in here." she spoke as she walked to the couch and began to slip on her brown boots.

"Hmph, "one thousand year-old". Your still considered to be twenty-one last time _I_ checked and _I_ twenty-two." Yuj countered with a snicker.

"Pfft, these people are crazy! I could care less how old they think I am!" she complained annoyed.

,,,,?,,,,,,, At The Bar,,,,,,,,

"Give me your strongest!" Fang called out to a blonde bartender, who smiled and bowed his head in response.

"His strongest?" Yuj asked narrowing his eyes at her.

"Sue me!" she nearly yelled and turned her back to him. She smiled when the blonde returned with her drink. Noel, who was standing near Yuj, who was standing behind Fang, who was sitting on a high stool, only shook his head in disappointment.

"Your gonna get drunk." Yuj risked one last time talking the dark-haired woman out of it.

"Exactly!" Noel let out from behind them.

"Hey, get off my sit whore!" yelled a lady who looked to be drunk as ever.

"Tell me she's not speaking to me?" Fang spoke before taking a large drink from her glass and then turning back. As soon as she turned, she gasped as the icy cold drink that had just been flung at her soaked the front part of her strapless cami. Noel and Yuj stood still in place, dumbfounded.

"Alright Missy, you asked for it!" she yelled before her fist "accidentally" smashed onto the lady's jaw.

"Oh no.." Yuj let out weakly.

"Hey! How dare you hit my future wife!" called out a brawny man as he took his place next to the lady Fang had just socked the life out of. Fang looked to Noel and grinned

"We'll take your dance invitation! " they both said at the same time. Seconds later, Fang's and Noel's fists clashed with both of their challengers red faces. Fang and Noel stood still with their balled-up fists and backs parallel to each other.

"Hey, over here!" called out more voices coming from more fight-hungry men in the bar. Yuj, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and casually leaning on a wall, quickly straighten up.

"Hey Bossy Beauty, we got company!" he called alerting both Fang and Noel.

"We better run.." Noel whispered to her as they stood back-to-back in between a group of beefy looking men.

"You think!" she called back preparing herself for the worst. Where was her lance when she needed it.

A large man then came straight at her. Moving quickly she hooked her arms with Noel and roundhouse kicked the man. Kicking one leg first and then the other, she high-kicked a second opponent. Noel however, just kept using anyone within range as a punching bag. Fang got thrown around at people a few times as Noel let her roll over his back to switch from side-to-side. He soon after lost track of her. Landing somewhere near the bar counter, she stood grinning at the sight. Everyone was attacking each other, throwing things everywhere.

"Hey!" called a voice behind her. A large man raised his hand with a glass bottle in it, ready to knock her out. She gasped not sure what to do.

"Hey ugly!" yelled Yuj who stood directly behind the man. As soon as he turned to get a look of who dared call him that. Yuj punched him in the face, knocking him out.

"Nice one!" Fang let out grinning.

"Hey, over here!" called Noel near a backdoor. The three took off quickly with a handful of men at their heels. They ran for a few minutes before stopping near an abandon building to catch their breath.

"Way... to... go,... Fang!" Yuj spoke first as he struggled to catch his breath. Fang who was standing next to him, just smacked him on his back as she tried to catch her breath as well.

"We're okay." Noel assumed looking around, alert.

"You won't make a mockery of us, you!" called out a scrawny man, whom stood deep inside a gang of about fifteen more men.

"Uh oh!" Yuj let out for everyone else as they all gawked at the scene.

"Where did they come from!"Noel managed to break his silence.

"Bring it, Walking Stick!" Fang threatened stepping in front of a shocked Noel and an annoyed Yuj.

"Oh no you didn't!" Yuj yelled at her as he took her by the wrist and ran the opposite direction of the crowd. Noel slowly stepped backwards and grinned at the gang nervously before taking off after Fang and Yuj.

As the three ran they then came to a gated wall, Yuj at once folded his hands in front of him. Quickly boosting Fang, he thrusted her over the gate, she did a flip off his hands and landed gracefully on the other side.

"Hey, hurry up Noel!" he called out to the brunette as he came to a halt in front of him.

"Hurry up!" Fang called from the other side.

"No, go with Fang! I'll call you guys later to let you know if I made it or not. Now go!" he yelled out at Yuj and quickly gave him a boost with his shoulder. Yuj then landed on the other side in a crouching position, feet wide apart, supporting his weight.

"Wait! No Noel!" Fang called out at him as he took off in a different direction.

""""""""""""""""""""""

Minutes later, a tired Noel slumped into an empty park bench. He had lost the group that had taken after him not too long ago. Sighing exhausted, he raked a sweaty hand through his light brown hair.

"Your such a mess!" he muttered at himself in frustration.

"No, I said no...please-." Noel perked up when he heard a voice coming from nearby. He quickly stood up and looked around. Not too far off, one of the men that been following him was assaulting a girl.

"You saw him didn't you? You're just covering for him!" he yelled at the girl as he tugged at her small wrist.

"No, I already told you! I haven't seen a guy pass by here!" she yelled back in fear and tugged at her hand to free herself from his grasp. Noel quickly made his way over, if innocent people were getting hurt because of him he wasn't going to stand by and watch.

"Hey Behemoth!" the hunter called out as he took off heading straight at the man. When he was in range he took to the ground. Using one of his arms, he lifted his body off the ground and thrusted both of his feet at the man's chest. His double kick quickly sent the man stumbling backwards and caused him to hit his head on a tree. Quickly getting back to his feet, Noel waited patiently for his opponent to recover; which he didn't.

"Is he-?" asked a small bell-like voice from his side. Noel quickly straightened out and turned to the girl who stood cowering behind him.

"No, he's just out for a couple of minutes." Noel assured her.

"Name's Noel, and you?" he asked in an attempt to distract her. He stretched his hand out for her to take.

"Katherine, but my friends call me Kat." she answered reaching out to take his hand.

"Well look Kat, I'm pretty sure it's not a good idea for you to be walking out here this late." he advised meaning well.

"How about we ditch this one and get you home safe, huh?" he said trying his best to sound comforting.

"Alright,..." she answered absently as she stared at the man who was out cold.

-_End flashback-_

"That must be Skylor!" Kat called out from the kitchen. A few seconds later and she was making her way happily to the front door of the large house she had brought Noel to.

"Sky-who?" he asked puzzled as he watched her run out the front door. She ran straight into the open arms of a man. He was dismounting a motorcycle that had just been parked.

"Skylor!" she called out happily.

"Hey little sis." answered the man. He then released her when he noticed Noel leaning on the doorway to their house.

"Who's your friend?" he asked grabbing his things and taking his helmet over his left shoulder. Swinging his right arm over Kat's shoulder they both made their way to the front door.

"Oh Sky, this is Noel. Noel this is Skylor, my older brother." she introduced quickly, smiling at both of the staring men.

"And how did you meet?" Skylor asked skeptical. He looked Noel up and down. Noel frowned at him and checked himself out.

Black cargo shorts and a white t-shirt had to be innocent enough right? 'No spills or anything.' he assured himself.

"Oh, I texted you everything that happened on your cellphone." she said frowning at her older brother.

"I was on the bike?" he answered defensively, she shrugged.

"You gotta do something about that. I wasn't the one who told you to get a motorcycle as your source of transportation." she let out simply. Skylor rolled his eyes at her and shrugged himself.

"Well,.. Noel is my hero." she continued bluntly.

"He saved me from this terrible man at the park and so I decided to offer him a place the stay the night."she explained.

"He doesn't have a place to spend the night." she whispered into Skylor's ear. Noel who obviously heard arched a brow at her. 'I'm right here!' he thought to himself.

"Ahh, I see. Then I guess I owe you thanks then." Skylor quickly began as he pulled his hand from behind Kat to take Noel's. Noel shrugged and smiled at them both.

"It was nothing really." he said taking his hand.

"Well, if you don't have a place to stay then you can crash here." Skylor agreed with Kat and began to move into the house.

"You can stay in my room. I'll sleep out here tonight." he continued motioning to the couch in the large living room.

"You ate already?" he asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, I got him some spaghetti's from tonight's dinner." Kat answered for Noel.

"Oh, okay. Well let me show you my room." Skylor offered, Noel nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for having me." Noel spoke automatically as he followed Skylor up the stairs to his room.

"Oh yeah, you safe my baby sister and you got me backing you up, anytime." he replied happily.

"Alright this is my room." he said as he opened the door to a room with a full size bed and turquoise bedding. Skylor quickly made his way around the room picking up after himself.

"You can rest up here tonight and we can figure something out tomorrow, okay?" Skylor said as he passed Noel with a stack of bed sheets and two pillows.

"The bathroom is right down the hall. If you need anything, don't bother asking either one of us, alright?" he spoke standing by the door.

"Alright, will do. Thanks again." Noel called off as Skylor closed the door behind him. Noel looked around the room a few more times before deciding it was 'okay' to stay over for one night. 'Atleast I don't have to deal with either one of those two back at the hotel.' he thought as he pulled off his shirt.

One last thought still lingered in his mind as he hopped on the bed and quickly drifted off to sleep.

**"Fang's going to kill me for not checking in..."**

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"So, kinda like me, right? Me being something like one thousand and something years old, right?" Vanille asked over her shoulder as she pulled a pan with hot cupcakes from the oven. Hope and Sazh were sitting on two stools at the kitchen counter, right behind her.

"Yeah, something like that. I mean, I was supposed to be twenty-seven, but I was reborn as a twenty-four year-old. My soul has the knowledge of a twenty-seven year-old, but my body has a whole different picture. " Hope explained as he picked at a vanilla flavored cupcake.

"You kid's and your ages. Twenty-seven or twenty-four, you're still a kid, to me that is." Sazh spoke continuously tapping his foot on the side of his stool, anxiously. This in turn caused Dajh's body to vibrate as he sat on Sazh's lap stuffing his face with a chocolate flavored cupcake.

"Your getting younger and I'm getting older waiting for Snow. What is it that he has to tell us anyway?" he thought aloud.

"Who knows." Hope sighed tired. He stretched his hand out with his cupcake at Vanille as she spread a spoonful of frosting ontop of it.

"Wait, don't eat it you." she commanded as he swiped some off the side. Giggling she scooped some frosting from his cupcake with her finger.

"You don't want me to eat it, yet you're taking all my frosting?" Hope complained playfully. She shrugged a few times cheerfully and pivoted on her heels to grab something from a cabinet.

"Catch!"she called out tossing a jar over her shoulder at Snow as soon as he entered the room. He was furiously rubbing a white towel at his wet hair, when the glass jar came at him. His reflexes quickly kicked in and he snatched the jar from the air. It made a popping sound as he turned the tight lid and tossed it in a trash can by the door.

"Nice catch!" Vanille cheered as she took the jar from his left hand.

"Your welcome. " he answered grinning victoriously.

"Well, you going to spit it out or have us wait a life time?" Sazh pressed as he lowered Dajh off his lap.

"Oh, right... Ummm, it's about Serah... I think I may have found her." Snow replied as a look of concern overtook his features.

"Serah! Really!" Vanille asked quickly turning away from the counter she was placing cherries ontop of cupcakes at. Her green orbs trained on him feverishly happy.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Give me that!" Fang spat as she snatched a hair-tie from Yuj's wrist. Yuj watched her as she pulled her dark hair back into a high ponytail.

"Agrh!.." she let out frustrated.

"What?" he asked her as she began to pace back and forth. They had managed to lose the creeps chasing after them and now they were standing outside the large hotel building they where staying at.

"Noel hasn't called in!" she muttered, panicked.

"And who's fault is that!?" Yuj asked with his hands on his hips.

"I don't remember asking any of you to come!" she hissed at him. Yuj trained his hazel eyes on the enraged woman, with a mix of anger and annoyance.

"I don't remember you complaining when I saved your behind back there!" he finally spat back at her. This caught the bronze skinned women off guard. She finally backed down, rolling her green emeralds at him, she turned away.

"So what's next on the agenda?" she asked not making any eye contact with him.

Next Chapter: "I'll leave that to your imagination." ( Ada Wong to Svetlana, Resident Evil: Damnation)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Who is it?

"Serah?" Sazh asked cocking a brow.

"How did you know where to _look_?" he joked, but no one laughed. He shrugged, and grabbed a strawberry flavored cupcake.

"We are bound to run into them eventually." he continued with his mouth full.

"How did you find out _anything_ at all in the first place?" Vanille asked lifting herself onto the kitchen counter top.

"To tell you guy's the truth...I wasn't looking.. It all just came to me. Matt, my manager, came to me today asking me to take on one of his "important" jobs and BOOM there it was. When I-" Snow stopped when Hope interrupted.

"Wait, _where _ do you work at anyway?" he asked curiously. Vanille, who had found time to scoot over closer, playfully smacked him up-side his head.

"Who cares about _that._ When can we see her?!" the red-head asked anxiously.

"Well you see, that's where the problem comes in..." Snow began rubbing the back of his head nervously. Hope glared at Vanille, who in turn grinned wildly.

"Let me guess, you're not so sure it's actually her?" Sazh asked tilting his head to the side. Just then, Chocolina who had popped up almost anywhere there was cupcake crumbs, peeked out from under the black leather couch in the living room.

"There you are!" Vanille called out, hopping of the counter and making her way over to the small chick.

"Yes and no." Snow answered thinking hard before saying anything.

"Matt gave me information on a "customer" that has requested a special piece be made for them. This "customer" by what Matt kept referring to as, a 'she' could only be a female. Also, the biggest piece is that her last name is "Farron" just like Serah's." Snow explained while he grabbed a random cupcake from the kitchen.

"And Lightning's." Vanille added as she made her way back to her sit. Snow looked to her and smiled.

"And Lightning's." he repeated.

"So what you're trying to say is that you could have or possibly not have found either Serah or Lightning?" Sazh asked thinking over everything.

"Yes..." Snow answered and continued to nod his head as he munched on his cupcake.

"Are there any possibilities that this "customer" could whined up being neither of them?" Hope asked with a serious tone. Vanille who was feeding Chocolina a full cupcake, frowned towards him.

"Hope, your suppose to be giving us hope, not breaking it!" she scolded playfully and smiled at him.

"Look at the bright side, if its Serah we're happy, if its Lightning we're happy, if it's neither of them we're happy because we know that there goes one less person we don't have to look up if it's not them." she continued bubbly.

"Perky has a point, if it's not them, we'll just keep looking. We'll find them, eventually." Sazh agreed. Vanille frowned at him, disliking his new nickname for her.

"Hope?" she asked regarding the silver-hair director.

"Your right, although, if it's not either of them... It could take a large toll from..." he trailed off. Vanille, on the other hand, shoved her open palm at his mouth and smiled gleefully.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves!" she cheered and hopped off the counter. Chocolina peeped with excitement from behind her. Soon after, Dajh who had tried desperately to get another cupcake from the high counter without the help of a chair, snickered in triumph as he began to take off with a cupcake in his hands.

"Dajh?" Snow called off after the child as he zoomed by behind him.

"Wait Dajh! No eating in the living room, remember!" Vanille called off after him when she noticed where he was heading. Hunching her shoulders and hiding her face, she cowered when the small boy tripped and 'thump' went the small overly frosted cupcake.

"Hahaha." Sazh began as he got up to help poor Dajh to his feet.

"You got to learn how to run when being told not to before you can get away with things like this." he advised and continued to chuckle.

"I'll get the paper towels." Hope called out as he stood from his stool and made his way into the kitchen. Snow stood aside and watched as Sazh fed Dajh a newly prepped cupcake and Vanille and Hope wiped away at the cherry and frosting mess Dajh had gifted them with.

"Your not making it any better!" Vanille complained as she tried to wipe the spot Hope had already wiped "better".

"But I already wiped that spot." he let out calmly.

**'So this is how a family looks when their happy, huh? I guess, we all will be even happier when you and Lightning join us... And maybe you can put an end to those endless flirt/bickering scenarios, Fang.. Ha... I must admit they were okay right from the start..'**

"What are you chuckling about?" Sazh questioned while he ran a hand over Chocolina's fuzzy small head.

"Nothing really, just those two." Snow answered waving the back of his hand lazily towards Hope and Vanille.

"Oh yes I know.." Sazh agreed.

"They're all grown up, yet they haven't changed a bit." he then joined him chuckling as they watched Hope and Vanille.

"So I am going to give that "customer" a call first thing tomorrow morning. What do you think?" Snow asked as his father version of a friend just smiled.

"You do that and just hope its her.," Sazh answered approving Snow's question.

"I will..." Snow answered with a smile of his own.

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"Keep your shirt on, I'm calling him right now!" Yuj said as he paced in the opposite side of the room. He and Fang had patrolled the whole city in search of Noel, but in the end had found nothing. Soon after, she had finally given up and accepted Yuj's offer to go back to the hotel room and wait for a call from Noel. Fang quickly slumped into the chair closest to the door. Noel had not only left without calling in, but he was also the one who kept the money. That being said, they were both stuck in the same room. They had agreed to check-in for another room before they left to the bar, but things hadn't turned out the way they had thought. Tossing the small mobile phone on Noel's bed, Yuj sighed exhausted.

"He's impossible! I don't know how he can sleep through that darn phone that just keeps ringing and ringing." he spoke running a hand through his feathery blue hair and dropped dead on the other bed parallel to Noel's.

"I hear ya, I hear ya, he's amazing when he wants to be." Fang commented as she began to slip navy-blue sleeves off her arms. Then she relaxed into the large chair, sighing she looked to Yuj.

"I can see Serah and Snow on their wedding-" he began as he joined his hands behind his head. As he described what he thought the future would bring, Fang quickly stopped him. She jumped onto the bed ment for Noel and yanked a big puffy pillow and tossed it straight at him.

"Shut your clam! You're spoiling the future!" she teased before spreading her legs and arms on the bed, tired. Yuj, who had easily caught the pillow before it hit him, smiled towards her.

"Night, Fang." he called over before closing his tired eyes and falling into a deep sleep. Fang an hour later listened as his snoring filled the room.

"Night, Ogre. " she said smiling as she raised and left to the bathroom to get dressed for bed.

**'I don't want to hear it.. Nothing. Only from you, will I listen to any of this "new world" events. You can have all the pleasure in the world telling me everything that has happened...'**

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Noel awoke to a light knock on his door as he rolled around in the bed he had been given the night before. He wanted to just ignore it and continued to sleep, but then the faint voice on the other side got him to drag himself off the comfortable bed and slightly crawl out of the sheets, stretching he managed to get to the door. Rubbing a hand through his messed up hair, he yanked the door open.

"Yeah?" he asked sleepy. Rubbing sleep off his eyes he slowly began to come to his senses. In front of the door stood Kat, who was staring at his chest with huge grey eyes.

"Wha-" Noel began sleepy before he noticed what she was so in shock about.

"Oh I'll get that-" he began as he turned back to the room and frantically searched for his shirt. Kat in turn managed to take her eyes from him and turned away blushing.

"Sorry, I-just-thought-you-might-need-somethings-before-I-took-off-to-school-Sky-is-still-sleeping-down-stairs-I-know-its-way-to-early-in-the-morning-but-here-are-a-toothbrush-and-a-change-of-clothes-that-I-got-for-you-" she stopped to gasp for breath and raised a hand to her chest as she inhaled deeply. Noel, by that time, had finally found his shirt and was slipping it back on as he approached the doorway once again.

"Whoa there, slow down will ya." he automatically put his hands out in front of him, defensively.

"You girls can **really** talk fast, huh?" he asked holding back a chuckle.

"Girls?" she finally asked when she caught her breath.

"Yeah,.. one of my best friends... She would go on like that about her boyfriend..." he smiled at the memory.

"Oh..." Kat simply answered, her eyes on the bag she carried with both of her hands.

"Here." she finally said holding the bag out for him to take.

"Oh, thanks." Noel automatically replied and began to look through the bag.

"Well, I better get going before I'm late." Kat continued, and took a few steps backwards.

"I'll leave breakfast out on the kitchen counter,.. just in case you get hungry." she added the last set of words with a wink. Turning, she made her way down the large stairs he barely recalls seeing last night. Then she came to a sudden halt and pivoted on her heels to turn back to him. Her long black hair instantly reminded him of Skylor, down stairs.

"You think you'll still be here in the afternoon?" she asked raising a hand to her chin and rubbing it thoughtfully.

"Uha, I really don't think so..." he replied frowning slightly.

"Aww, well maybe you can give me your number? That way we can keep in touch, yeah?" she asked smiling.

"Uhmm, alright. I don't see why that could be bad." he nodded in agreement and pulled out a small black mobile phone. Holding her cellphone out in front of him so he could see the digits, she smiled warmly.

"Alright, I really hope to see you again, but for the meantime stay out of trouble, okay?" she playfully commanded. Noel returned her smile and nodded once again.

"You should too. Wouldn't want to know you got in some kind of trouble like yesterday. " he began, shaking his head in a bluffing disappointment manner.

"Haha, Roger that." she said smiling and turned to make her way down the stairs once again.

"Have a nice Morning!" Noel called out as he chuckled and shook his head.

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"Grrrrr!" Snow groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.

"No no no, I'm still sleepy! I need more time." he whined as Dajh tugged on the blankets.

"But Daddy said he was going to come and take me to the park today." Dajh complained as he tugged hard with both of his hands. He laughed in triumph when he finally managed to get Snow to release the white sheets he had been holding on for dear life. Rubbing at his sleepy eyes, Snow looked to the digital clock on his bedside, 8:49. He dropped his head back on the bed, ready to ignore Dajh to the end of time.

"Want me to tell you how I lost my Mister Ducky? It all happened when..." Dajh trailed off as he continued to talk to a half asleep Snow.

Ten minutes later...

"Bam!" Dajh yelled as he clapped his hands together only inches away from Snow's face. This caused him to jump startled because he had accidentally fallen asleep while Dajh had been telling his story.

"And so now my ducky lays stranded in a far away island." he finished with a frown at the thought. Snow shook his head to wake himself up.

"So wait. What exactly do I have to do with this?" he asked. Looking into Dajh's curious little eyes questionably.

"Nothing." the small child simply answered with his hands folded behind his back, a large smile on his face.

"Nothing?" Snow asked trying to concentrate and then frowned. Had he been talking too fast and that had made it hard for him to get things straight or...? 'I have something important to do today before work right?' Snow thought to himself as he laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. He then looked back to Dajh.

"You're up early. " he said smiling and ruffled Dajh's afro gently.

Forty six minutes later...

"Wahhh!" Vanille yelled falling off the bed. She had slept the whole night alone and had most definitely slept like a baby.

'I guess these are the effects of finally reuniting with Sazh and Hope.' she thought to herself still laying on the floor, smiling at the thought.

**'Perhaps seeing you again ended my never-ending nightmare nights...'**

Soon after, a worried Snow ran into the room to see what was going on. Vanille's head popped up from the left side of the large bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" she assured no one in particular. Then she turned to the doorway, where she had heard the door burst open.

"It's okay..." she said looking at Snow.

".. It's okay." she muttered under her breath, dragging herself up. She snatched her pink blankets off the ground and started to make her bed.

"Well, someone got a goodnight sleep last night." he spoke leaning casually on the wall near the door.

"Yeah...about that.." she answered smiling sheepishly.

"What?" Snow asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nothing, forget it." she replied holding back a giggle that seemed to tickle her insides.

"Alright then, if you got nothing to say then I got something for you to do, Dajh's up." he simply spoke with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, okay. Toothbrush time!" she cheered happily. Snow just chuckled and shook his head.

"You sure got your way with kids." he smiled warmly as he watched the red-head arch one slender-red eyebrow.

"What is that suppose to mean?" she asked finished with the bed.

"Nothing nothing." he replied raising his hands up in surrender as he began to walk out of her room. Blowing her short bangs out of her face, she frowned at the burly man's back.

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"Then you simply stir it all together." Vanille said as she instructed Dajh on how to make a 'good' tasting coffee.

"Ah, can I have some?" Dajh asked stretching two hands at the white mug Vanille was holding with both her hands.

"Umm, sure." she replied smiling. Stretching her hands out to him, she slowly handed him the mug; which looked huge in his small hands. He then slowly began to tilt it to have a sip when one large hand came from behind him and took the mug out of his hands.

"Tsk-tsk, nuh uh you can't have that." Snow said taking the mug and looking into it.

"Its coffee right?" he asked reassuring himself.

"Yep." Vanille said turning around and hopping off her stool. Snow then smiled and moved his eyebrows, up and down.

"Then I guess I deserve this then." he continued and took a large sip of the coffee. Dajh, who just stared at the mug like it was candy, frowned disappointed. Crossing his small arms in front of his body, Dajh pouted as he watched Snow gulped down the last of the hot liquid. Then there was a light knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Vanille chirped making towards the door.

**'What is this feeling... Fluttering in your stomach,... Like butterflies... When I watch you, when I'm near you, when we touch.'**

Vanille smiled brightly when she was met by a calm Hope at the door. He smiled gently at her and was almost pushed out-of-the-way as Sazh hooked an arm around his neck.

"Good morning, Missy!" Sazh called out happily. Hope's teal set of eyes never leaving her's as he got manhandled by Sazh.

"Morning old man!" Vanille replied and smirked at the sight in front of her. Sazh sure wasn't acting like an old geezer.

"Daddy!" called Dajh, right behind her, and launched himself at him. Vanille watched them with a smile, her hands folded behind her. After hearing the child's voice, Chocolina suddenly peeked her head out of Sazh's afro and fluttering her small wings, landed on Dajh's smaller afro.

"Can we come in?" Hope asked as soon as Sazh released his hold on him. The twenty-four year-old looking man really wasn't going to stand there, next to Sazh, one more minute.

"Oh sure, come right in." she answered cheerfully hopping once to the side. As soon as she closed the door and turned her attention to the inside of the house she noticed Snow motioning to everyone to be quiet. He had his cellphone on his ear and his index finger in front of his lips. Vanille nodded vigorously in agreement and began to motion everyone to take a sit. Sazh grabbed Dajh and taking the upholstered chair closest to Snow, they settled in quietly. Chocolina peeped a few times before she hid herself in Dajh's Vanille motioned to Hope so he would take the sit next to Snow on the couch. Leaving her to sit on arm of the couch, next to him.

"Yes, hello?" Snow then suddenly spoke to someone on the phone.

"Put it on speaker!" Vanille urged already excited. Snow raised a hand in understanding and pressed on the speaker.

"Yes um, This is Snow Villier's, may I please speak to Serah Farron?" he asked aloud.

"I'm sorry, but I believe you may have called the wrong number. Serah Farron is not the owner of this phone number, but I am,... Claire Farron." answered a voice of a woman from the other side of the receiver.

"Claire?... Sis?.. Light-Lightning?" Snow asked the voice in complete awed. Sazh and Dajh, both smiled happily and cheered quietly. Hope, on the other hand, became tensed. His jaw clenched tightly as he listened. Vanille quickly slipped her hand in his, smiling encouragingly towards him. She then felt his grip tightening around her small hand, but she ignored the pain and gripped his hand right back.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. There is no Lightning or Serah Farron here, how did you find out about this 'Lightning'?". The woman's voice on the phone made a small crack as she repeated the name.

"Wha-!?" Vanille began to speak up out loud, but upon remembering they were all on speaker quickly raised a hand to her mouth. Snow motioned to her in agreement and waved her down. Everyone was completely silent for a few seconds as they all listened as another voice joined the first one.

"I'm going to be late, Claire." a male voice alerted the said Claire on the phone.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute." she announced, her voice gave of a feeling of being pressured.

"I uh,.. Hello? Are you still there?" she asked their side of the receiver. Snow shook his head awakening himself from his state of inactivity.

"Hello, yes?" he answered. Everyone in the room looked completely shocked, but Vanille remained quiet. 'I've heard that voice somewhere before... Could it really be...?' she thought to herself. Hope's gripping hand soon after reminded her that they were still speaking to the said Claire Farron.

"I have to go... Listen,.. Maybe we can meet up today at ten and talk more about this. I may not be able to give you information on this Serah Farron, but I do have a few questions to ask about this 'Lightning'." she continued. Sazh, who had a frown the whole time nodded towards Snow, agreeing.

"Alright, where at?" Snow asked as soon as he spotted Sazh answer.

"Claire?" a girl's voice this time called out to her.

"I'll be right over!" said Claire called back reassuringly.

"In the city of Riverside, Downtown Zion." she instructed.

"We can meet at a café named, The Art House Café."

"Sounds good." Snow agreed taking mental notes of everything.

"Alright, hope to see you there... Have a nice day." was all she said before she hung up.

**'Silence... Complete silence... I really didn't know what to make of this... Downtown Zion was where I and Sazh lived. Was this really Lightning... Well, it sure explains a lot on why we weren't able to get a hold of her... Using her full name like that. Why wasn't she going by the name 'Lightning' anymore? And why was she acting so strange when referring to Serah... Like if Serah was a complete stranger to her? Is this really Lightning...'**

* * *

Next Chapter: Hope is freaking out, friends from the past emerge from the dark, and Lightning or may I say Claire, isn't quite herself anymore...

Author's Notes: Sorry guys I know this chapter was short, but I can assure you I will try better for the up coming chapter so please don't kill me! *smiles*


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Rant: Hey guys, so this time I decided that I would try to describe what a few of the characters on this chapter are wearing. Soo if I did a terrible job, PLEASE let me know. For you have not my mind, so please bear with me :). I will eventually improve if you guys let me know what I do wrong, remember negative or positive it all counts. Bye for now, enjoy! Oh and by the way, this chapter is slightly longer. :)

*hides in the box of shame*

* * *

Chapter 5: Together

Hope slowly clenched and unclenched his hold on Vanille's hand. His face had been looking down the entire time so no one had noticed how worried and disappointed he really was.

**'At least we have Dajh, Snow and Vanille... Vanille...'**

He then mentally pinched himself, resisting the urge to take the always lively girl in his arms. He really needed someone right now. Thinking of the possibilities of what could have happened to the remaining members of his family were only bringing back a feeling he knew all too well. The same feeling he didn't know how to deal with back in Cocoon. What broke him right in the beginning. She was there, she was there for him that time.. Would she refuse to help him this time? Without another word, he quickly turned to the red-haired girl and buried his face in the nape of her neck. She was stiff for a few seconds, but then she soften into his embrace.

"Its going to be okay, you'll see." she cooed into his ear and tighten her grip on him. Looking over Hope's head, she looked to Snow.

"We'll be okay, right?" she murmured quietly.

"I-I...what time is it?" Snow asked looking to Sazh. Sazh quickly looked to the watch he was carrying on his wrist and answered his question.

"9:51, you're not going to make it. Three cities down the road, nuh uh." Sazh said as he guessed what Snow was thinking.

"You have to call her back and let her know we can't get there that fast." he continued as he stood and turned to sit Dajh back on the chair.

"You think she'd wait for us?" Vanille then asked joining the conversation.

"I highly doubt it." Sazh automatically answered her.

"I mean, knowing the Lightning we know, no she wouldn't." he continued.

"I have to run a few errands before hand anyway." Snow spoke up.

"_I'm_ the only one going down there." he continued. He sat at the edged of the leather couch, gripping its sides tightly. Then without another word, he stood and walked to the kitchen. Everyone's eyes, except Hope's; who still held his embrace on Vanille, followed his every move. Walking into the kitchen that was now lightly lit up by the early morning sun, he made for his mug and poured himself more coffee.

Silence...Chocolina, who came out of her hiding spot, after Snow had hung up, also remained silent and hopped around on the dark wooden floor.

"Doubt is one thing...Fear is another... We leave a world where nothing is never perfect, to run into the hands of yet another mistake..." Hope slowly began as he pulled away from Vanille to sit up straight. After hearing those words Snow stormed off with long fast strides toward his room.

Silence...

"Coffee anyone?" Vanille finally chimed with a large smile on her face.

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"So only you and Kat live here?" Noel asked curiosity getting the best of him.

"I mean I saw a lot of different pictures in your room and in the living room and..." he trailed off. Biting down on his french toast, Skylor nodded slowly.

"Yeah,... It's just me and Kat..." he answered and continued to eat in silence. Noel arched both of his eyebrows, surprised at the guy's sudden change and proceeded to changing the subject.

"Oh so you work?" he asked mentally smacking himself for asking the first question that popped up in his head.

"Yep, I do actually. At a warehouse, wood carving." he answered as he bit down on his sausage link.

"We make a whole bunch of wood pieces. We even take in special requests for anything needing a professional. " he continued.

"You? What do you do? I mean, do you work?" he asked biting on his sausage with his elbow on the table, hand inches away from his face. Noel then grunted aloud and almost choked as the thought of him working his days off in a normal daily job blew his mind.

"Ahem, no actually... I don't. I have something much more important that I'm trying to take care of first. He mentally chuckled as the memory of him and Fang arriving at a restaurant with empty stomachs came back to hunt him. They ate everything they could ever dream up, but sure ended up washing a whole day worths of dishes after.

"Really and what's that?" Skylor asked propping his head on his free hand.

"I'm looking for someone... Actually, I'm looking for more than one person...some old friends of mine. " Noel finally finished.

"Really?" Skylor asked. 'I've heard that one before.' he thought to himself remembering the day Snow told him about his search for Serah and his 'family'.

"Yeah,... So far I've had no luck whatsoever." the hunter continued.

"But I won't give up hope. I can't. I won't." he finished almost speaking to himself than to Skylor.

"I bet if you try hard enough you'll get what you're looking for." Skylor also encouraged smiling. He then stood and collected his plate and asked for Noel's.

"No I'm okay." Noel assured as he picked at his sunny-side up eggs. His mind was now thinking about the endless possibilities for finding Yeul if he knew where at least one of his old friends were at. Where was Serah,.. Snow,.. or even Hope? Where were they living now...

**'I'll repeat myself again even now...I can't turn back now, not anymore. In my world, you no longer exist. A world without you is no world at all...I will find you Yeul...'**

Noel then after awoke from his state of trance. Startled, he slowly looked down to the baggy denim jeans Kat had given him, early in the morning. His perfectly untouched egg laid flat on his left jean-cladded thigh. Skylor, who was returning from the sink, paused when he saw the sight. No longer able to hold the laughter, practically begging to be freed, he bursted into fits of laughter.

"It must've fallen right out of my plate." Noel guessed making no move to cleaning the mess. He then turned to Skylor with a sheepish shrug.

"What can I say, my head was in the clouds." he explained and smiled.

"Here, use these." Skylor began as he opened a kitchen cabinet and pulled out a few napkins. Noel would drop his whole plate on himself, on purpose, if what his eyes were seeing was really true. There, right on the cabinet's door was a picture. A picture of Kat... Kat and someone he knew all too well...

"Yeul!" Noel finally breathed out, staring furiously at the picture. Staring at Noel like if he had gone crazy all of a sudden, Skylor arched a single dark brow at his newly made friend.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

"We can't lose hope.. If this is Lightning... and she really has no memory of us, then we must work together to make her remember.!" Vanille chirped happily, with a pink mug of coffee of her own, from the open balcony glass door. She had been pacing back and forth, slowly with her hands behind her back ever since Snow had barged his way out the apartment and out to the parking lot. He had left without saying a single word. Of course, this really didn't make anyone happy, but Snow was going through a phase in his life where he really needed to be alone. Family or no family, he needed to breathe fresh air.

"I know where you're getting at Vanille, but that's not the problem. The problem is; is this really Lightning? Or is it just some random woman trying to collect information on her?" Sazh explained pacing around in his own little spot near the upholstered chair, Dajh was still sitting in. The small six year-old was playing away with Chocolina without another thought in mind.

"But what if it is Lightning, but with a major case of amnesia?" Hope asked taking the pink mug from Vanille and with one gulp, chugged it down.

"Hey, that's your tenth one! Stop taking my coffee!" Vanille whined, pouting enraged.

"Sorry." Hope replied after drinking it completely off the face of the earth. He handed the mug back to her out stretched hands with a sheepish grin. She then frowned and in a flash stuck her pink tongue at him.

"This is insane! Where did he take off to anyway?!" Sazh asked as he finished adjusting a black bandana on Dajh's small neck.

"Thanks Dad." Dajh said as he returned to feeding Chocolina bite size pieces of dark chocolate. Just then the loud exhaustion of Snow's motorcycle came into hearing range.

"He's back!" Vanille cheered as she quickly placed her mug on a tea-table in the center of the room and took off to the balcony.

"He better have a good explanation." Sazh mumbled as he waited in place, arms crossed over his chest.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Snow quietly dismounted his bike and smooth down his blonde hair as he looked up to his apartment's balcony. Sure enough, there was Vanille, leaning on the wooden rail waving happily over at him.

**'How can she remain so calm in a time like this... Vanille, you're strong... Strong enough to bear the weight of the whole world on your shoulders and still smile...'**

Snow quickly mustered his best smile and waved back once. As he headed back to the apartment he thought of the many things she would throw at him for his decision.

He had called Claire Farron back and had asked to meet at 2:00pm instead... and this time he had a plan... A plan to go **alone**.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

**'Knowing you'll always be welcomed, no matter how much has changed…That's what having a home is all about.'**

Vanille stood still, her mouth slightly parted as she stared in shock at Snow.

"But-but you can't! I wanna see Lightning too!" she finally found her words and stood still in place.

"I have to. This is my job to take care of..and mine only." Snow continued.

"Snow's got a point. If this Claire Farron turns out to not be the real Lightning, Snow still has a job to do for her..so..." Sazh trailed off as he agreed with Snow.

"Your taking his side too!" Vanille complained as she glared toward Sazh.

"Hope?" she asked turning to her only hope in this. Hope smiled warmly toward her and nodded.

"Aren't we all family? That being said, this is everyone's problem. We all can deal with it together." Hope finished taking his eyes off of Vanille and throwing Snow a pointed 'You know I'm right' look.

"No, Vanille stays here and that's final." Snow replied calmly and made for his room. Vanille was so annoyed at the treatment she was receiving. 'What! I'm I still a small child to him or what?!' she thought as she paced like a manic. Then she caught a glimpse of Hope taking a sit. She stopped in her tracks and watched the grown man who always seem to be on her side of things. She examined him as he sat on the edge of the couch. He untied his mid-calf boots and adjusted the hems of his loose-fitting denim jeans into them. Scrunch up as they were, he pushed part of them into his boots. He wore a more casual look today. He had on what she could makeup to-be a black v-neck shirt and a locket that hung loosely around his neck. Dark blue denim jeans and a grey hoodie with a variety of buttons and small pockets aligned both of his sleeves. Then she jumped startled when a hand lightly padded her shoulder. She turned to find a smiling Sazh standing right next to her.

"Its okay, let him be. He knows what he's doing." the older man encouraged as he made his way to Dajh.

"Alright little man I think that's enough tickling for the little one." he spoke as he stretched a hand to grab Chocolina, who was squirming as Dajh tickled her small feathered body.

"Here." came a voice from behind her. Vanille turned slightly to see Snow holding his hand out. Frowning she reached for what seemed to be a small pink cell phone. She swiped her index finger lightly over the large screen and the phone came to life.

"I had Sky pick it out for me a few weeks back. He was getting one for Kat, so I figured why not get you one, too. This way we can communicate while I'm gone." he finished and smiled at her. Vanille was quiet for a few seconds before she actually showed any emotions.

"How long will you be gone?" she simply asked taking her eyes off the small device to look at him.

"Two days max, that is if everything turns out alright." he explained as he tossed a few things into his duffel.

"I set it up for you already. You would just have to add Hope's and Sazh's information and numbers in there." he finished as he walked back into his room.

"Don't worry kid. Hope and I will stay here to keep you company while Snow is gone." Sazh encouraged as he approached her from her left side.

"Yeah, I'll just call my Dad and let him know to get me off the schedule for a few more days and we can stay." Hope also joined in taking her right side. Vanille remained quiet for a few seconds before saying anything.

"Alright then!" Vanille finally agreed.

"But you have to let me know everything that has happened as soon as you can, alright?" she asked peeking her head into Snow's room.

"Sure thing!" Snow replied tossing a few shirts into his bag and giving her a 'thumps up' with a large side grin.

""""""""""""""""""""""

"Alright then, time to head out!" Snow called out as he pulled on his duffel's adjustable straps.

"You'll stop being the hero for once, right?" Vanille asked trying her best to sound cheerful and happy, but was failing helplessly.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Snow asked arching a brow at the redhead.

"She means your terrible at being a hero because you _never _save anyone, so make a plan this time, _pleeease_." Sazh explained as he stood next to Snow's bike as he mounted the thing.

"Oh come on. I'm not that bad, am I?" he asked turning to Hope.

"Your terrible." Hope assured as he smiled and stood next to Vanille. She really couldn't believe she was letting an opportunity like this slip by... This could be a chance to maybe find Fang as well...Stepping forward in front of Snow's left side, she inhaled slowly and looked into the light blonde man's blue eyes.

"Please, if this is Lightning... Bring her home...and never stop looking for everyone else...for Fang..." she spoke quietly. Fighting the tears she quickly looked away.

"Please, come back... I don't want to know that I gained two...but lost one." she continued, her voice cracked as she said the last words. Snow then took the short girl he had learned to treat like his younger sister in a huge hug. Placing his chin on her head he embraced her. Holding her fiercely he spoke, not letting her go...not wanting her to see his face. A single tear rushed down his invisible barrier and made its way down his cheek.

"And you keep an eye out for Serah, alright? We'll bring this family back together real soon!" he assured her.

"We'll find everyone sooner or later." Sazh pitched in, smiling with his hands on his hips.

"Your right, we just have to keep our hopes up!" Hope agreed.

"Right!" Vanille cheered pulling away from Snow's arms.

"Alright then!" Snow began beating his gloved fists together.

"Oh and I almost forgot, Vanille no late snacks especially candy, no scary movies because you'll have nightmares and bed by eleven o'clock or you'll be sleeping the entire day the next morning, got it?" Snow instructed pointing a finger at the now frowning girl.

"What?! Ohh come on, its me remember?!" she breathed gawking at him as he shook his head disapprovingly. He just shrugged and nodded as he began to lift his helmet and place it on his head.

"I don't have to, do I?!" she yelled asking him, though he revved the motorcycle and missed her words. Placing a hand on his ear he gestured and mouthed a "I can't hear you". Annoyed, Vanille stomped her foot on the ground in front of him. Completely ignoring her, he shrugged his shoulders, grinning evilly.

"Hey, wait!" she began, but he couldn't hear her. Giving them a 'thumps up' he took off. Vanille, Sazh and Hope stood outside watching him as he dove off. Sazh then hooked his arm over Vanille's shoulders.

"Don't worry kiddo he'll be fine." he assured her, padding the spot where his hand was he pulled away as she continued to stare off in the direction Snow had just left in.

Seconds later...

"Oh come on Dad, you promised!" Dajh complained as he tugged on Sazh's arm. The tired man was sitting in the couch with his legs resting on the wooden tea-table.

"I know, I know, little man but we have to wait for big sis, she's still getting ready." Sazh explained padding Dajh's afro gently. Vanille had disappeared only for a few seconds to get dress in the privacy of her room and Dajh was already throwing a tantrum. 'Phew, she sure spoiled you.' he thought as he leaned his head deeper into the comfortable pillow, Hope had found for him in one of the walk-in closets.

""""""""""""""

Hope leaning causally on Vanille's door as he watched amused as the green-eyed girl ran around the room grabbing things from different places all at once.

"Hope, toss me those jeans, please." she called out from across the room. Confused, Hope walked into the room and grabbed a pair of black jeans from a rack near the door and holding them up he called back.

"These?" he asked, looking between the jeans and Vanille's thoughtful face.

"Um, nah. Forget it." she replied and continued to look through a small plastic box filled with shirts he figured were all hers.

"Aha!" she finally called out in triumph. She was holding a white-hooded long-sleeve shirt that had green horizontal stripes on it.

"Okay," she finally said more to herself then to him.

"I need to get dressed!" she announced looking toward Hope and pointing to the door.

"I'm going. I'm going." Hope replied as he made his way to the door.

"Take as long as you need." he called over to her with one last look as he closed the door behind him. Vanille grinned to herself as soon as Hope closed the door. 'It really does feel good to have you back.' she admitted to herself before she began to get undressed.

"""""""""""""""""

Hope stood outside in the hallway, while Vanille got dressed, thinking. Leaning against the wall he thought to himself if it was right for him to have had left Snow go like that. 'Wasn't it everyones job to try to get everyone together? Shouldn't we all have the right to go with him?' he thought worried for Snow.

"He's old enough to know better, right?" he thought aloud. Running a hand through his silver hair.

"Not like he's ever proven that to be true." he continued, frowning at the thought.

"Hope?" Vanille called him over, standing at her door. Her hands were clasped behind her and she had a pout-like look on her face. Her turquoise-green pajamas had now been replaced by short overall denim shorts and the white shirt with the green horizontal stripes. The overalls were folded at the hems of the legs and had purposely worn-out spots on several places.

"Yeah?" Hope answered walking back to stand in front of her. He really was taller than her now. He actually towered over her, he smiled at the thought.

"Umm can you help me get something? " she asked tilting her head to the side. She had replaced her one high ponytail with her usual curly pigtails; which now bounce along with her.

"Come on." she said taking him by his hand and pulling him back into the room.

"There." she said pointing at the top of a white wooden wardrobe. 'Yup, it sure was too high for her to reach.' Hope thought as he made his way over.

"What is it you want me to grab?" he asked while he looked around at the things on top.

"That one, right there." she began pointing at a satin cord fashion belt. He frowned and walked up closer to the wardrobe and reached for the thing. He tugged and then noticed why she needed his help. Lifting the belt higher, he managed to unhook it from the other belts hanging from the same hook.

"Here." he said handing her the belt.

"Thanks!" she said smiling gleefully. He watched her as she donned it loosely around her small waist. The belt had a variety of different kinds of beads and very small sea shells. Two single white feathers hanged from the ends of the two strips of cord that now hanged down the left side of her hips.

"Alright, I'm ready!" she let out as she looked up at him with her hands fully stretched out, away from her sides. Hope arched a brow, skeptical.

"Shoes?" he said pointing to her feet. He then frowned and crouched in front of them.

"You polished your own toenails?" he asked examining her feet.

"Yes,...why?" she asked worried. She then joined him and crouched down in front of him.

"Are they ugly?" she asked almost giggling at the question.

"No, they are quite nice actually. I just like the colors." he explained. Suddenly, he then did something strange. He grabbed her foot and brought it up closer to his face, looking closely at the colors. This cause her to lose her footing and fall flat on her rear.

"Hey-" she began, but stopped as she noticed he was just studying them closer.

"Teal?" he automatically asked looking back to her.

"Yep. Turquoise, sea green, dark ocean blue, and a pinch of white too." she explained as she began to sit-up. They both remained still as then each stared into each other's eyes. Their faces only inches apart, it was silent, neither one of them dared breathe a single breath.

"Hey Vanille!" Sazh called from the living room.

"Were is the remote?" the dad-like figure asked. She remained still, not making any moves to say or do anything.

"It's in the kitchen, on the counter top!" Hope answered for her, not taking his eyes away from hers.

"Oh!" she finally said breaking their eye contact and looking to something behind him.

"There they are." she let out as she crawled passed him and to a pair of ankle-length gladiator sandals. They were black and had a heel about two or three inches high. Slipping them on, she stood.

"Alright. All ready." she cheered turning to him and smiling.

**'I'm beginning to think I'm the only one with these feelings...'**

""""""""""""""""""

"Alright we're ready!" Vanille called out as she skipped down the corridor of the apartment into the living room. Hope closing the door to her room, followed close behind.

"And yet I stand corrected, you can be fast." Sazh said as soon as the girl came into view.

"I wish I could say all women were this fast." he continued sighing as he stood. Vanille flashed him a huge smile before skipping off to grab the last sling bag he had seen her carry around with her. Ducking under the long shoulder strap, she smiled and looked to everyone.

"Ready everyone?" she asked rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Aren't you forget something?" Hope asked holding up her new pink cellphone in the same hand that he was carrying the keys to his car.

"Oh, I almost forgot about it?" she admitted sheepishly.

"Thanks Hope!" she thanked him as she took the small phone from his hand. He watched her skip off to the front door, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"I'll leave the lamp on, if I were you." Sazh advised Hope as he grabbed Dajh and swung the child onto his back, piggyback style.

""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Peep peep." Chocolina tweeted in Vanille's cupped hands. She ran her finger down the small chocobo's belly and smiled as she chirped back excitedly.

"So we are going to the park near the hotel you both are staying at?" she asked arching a brow as she tried to guess what hotel that was.

"Yup, it's called the Evergreen Park. Ever heard of it?" Sazh asked from the back sit as Hope drove quietly.

"Ummm," Vanille began.

"Wait, does it have a big pond and ducks running around in it?" she asked.

"Yup." Sazh answered and smiled at Dajh as the small little boy turned away from the car's windshield and smiled back at him.

"Aha, I know exactly what park that is." she replied happily.

"Wait, but that park is super crowded on Wednesday." she continued frowning at the memory of the last time her and Snow had drove by that park on a Wednesday.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Yeul"""""""""""""""""""""

**'All I ever wanted was to see him...just once...just one more time.'**

Three nights before...

"Yeul?" Claire called before pushing the sliding door that led to a glass greenhouse on the roof of her penthouse.

"Yes?" answered the quiet almost whisper-like voice of the usually calm girl.

"Sorry, I know this isn't enough, but I...you know I'm not the kind that cooks, let alone bake." she continued as she paused in front of one of the many flowerbeds and crouched next to her. She then stretched her hand out and handed the girl a small vanilla flavored muffin with one candle that remained standing, yet melting quickly.

"It's okay Claire, I understand." she replied looking away from the set of roses she was tending and smiled at the pink haired woman when she noticed the muffin. Her green eyes sparkled as the moonlight shined in on them from the night sky.

"Hmm." Claire nodded once in agreement and watched her as she placed the roses back and slipped off her multi-colored gardening gloves. Taking the small muffin in her hands, she smiled once again and after blowing the candle she took a small bite out of it.

"No icing?" she teased quietly. They both chuckled at the joke and then, almost immediately, returned to their silence.

"I know I can't remember almost anything from my past life, but...for some strange reason...I remember you perfectly..." Claire began as if, she felt sorry no one else was here to celebrate with them. As if, there was a lot of other people still missing in their life, but they just wouldn't click.

"I know what you mean Claire...but you are like a rose...you aren't any different then _any _of these flowers here." she said gesturing towards all the flowerbeds of different kinds of flowers.

"You need someone to tend to your needs so that you can bloom as you once did. You need someone to heal you from your memory loss, by reminding you of who you were before. You will someday remember who exactly is Serah and everyone else...but for now...you must be patient." the now eighteen year-old girl continued then she smiled once again.

"You'll be okay, we'll help you...he may not be all that patient...but he'll still help. He claims he owes you from your past life right?" she finished pushing a long strand of her blue hair behind her right ear.

"Yes,..he actually does." Claire answered to that and smiled lightly.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Snow quietly turned off the engine of his motorcycle as he looked toward the large café he was supposed to have met said Claire thirty minutes ago. Slowly dismounting his bike, he inhaled deeply and began to make his way to the entrance. When he finally entered, he searched the café for her last appearance. Especially keeping an eye out for her pink cotton candy colored hair.

Then there she was...not too far off, he watched her as she sipped on a black mug of steaming liquid. Slowly and yet quietly, he approached her. She wore a black tank top and her old necklace with a lightning bolt pendant.

"Lightni-Claire Farron?" he asked as soon as he stood a few feet from her table. Her blue eyes looked up from her folded hands and looked towards the source of the voice asking the question.

"Your late." she answered bluntly.

"Snow Villiers?" she asked the question raising her right brow.

"Yup." Snow replied stretching a hand towards her. She stood and took his hand, shook once and then motioned for him to take a sit. As soon as he slipped into the padded booth sit the unexpected happened.

Suddenly, her eyes widen as if in shock and she fell limply into her sit. Her pale blue eyes lit up in a flash with a strange gold glowing symbol over her pupils.

"Lightn-I mean, Claire?!" Snow asked sitting up, alerted. He watched her as her hand clutched the table-cloth as if in pain. Then as quickly as she had lost control of herself she regained it. She gasped, inhaling air as her eyes looked around the room wildly. Then her eyes came to a sudden stop when they met Snow's.

"You!" she growled baring her teeth, clenching her jaw.

"We can stop playing games now!" she yelled at him completely enraged. She instantly stood and reached for a gun that was hoisted to her left black-jean cladded thigh. Cocking the gun, she pointing it directly between his two eyebrows.

"Whoa!" Snow let out startled, but didn't dare move an inch.

* * *

Next Chapter: AHHHHHHH! What the life is wrong with Lightning or Claire or whatever?! And why is she carrying a gun? Oh wait, she's 'Lightning' duh *giggles*


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Rant: Lesson of the day; heed warnings when told of them.-_- So my empty-headed self decided that while I was writing this story I would post another one of my stories on here because I was bored. And so I posted it and then no sooner did I regret it, leaving myself with the weight of yet another story to update weekly... School begins, homework starts coming in, procrastination kicks in, grades go down...-_- *Whispers* I hate myself! It's soo short :(

* * *

Anywhooo, that's my reason for taking so long on this update *cowards* SORRY! I am really really really sorry. I can't stress that enough. I feel so guilty. *Scrunches face in hands* ...weeks later

Ok ok I'm over it! :) I also took forever cause I had to write a scene from the game... You can guess how good that went : WAIT ! You don't have to guess, you guys can READ it! O.o Ummm..ahem.. forget I said that.

Going back and forth watching and writing isn't what I am best at I guess.. You guys can let me know.

Ok ok I'll keep quiet now. I hope you guys like it, for now, Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six: See What I Can't!

Vanille smiled happily as she inhaled the fresh earthly scent of the grass and the trees around her. She giggled as she watched a squirrel watch her curiously. It tilted its head to the side, squeaking once and remained still as she slowly crawled towards it. The small creature waited for her to reach about six feet from its surroundings, before it quickly scurried off into a pile of yellowish-brown leaves. She frowned as she watched it disappear. Then, suddenly, the breeze she had so much been enjoying, shifted. Instead of a calming smell of sweet, sun-baked grass, she was met with dank, muddy air. She turned just in time to watch small ducklings trailing after their mother duck.

"Quack, quack." they went as they followed her into the large pond; which was on the center of the large park they had stopped at.

"Evergreen Park." she said aloud.

"Yup, Evergreen Park." Sazh repeated after her as he made his way to her side. Dajh was holding his left hand and was trying his best not to step on anything unwanted laying about.

"Where's Hope?" Vanille asked as she sprang up energetically and dusted herself off.

"Oh, he went off to get some drinking water-" Sazh explained, but paused when the sound of his ringing phone filled the air.

"Hello?" he asked as he answered it. He handed Vanille Dajh's hand as he motioned the two to go off and have fun. Vanille watch him from the corner of her eye as she led Dajh to the edge of the pond.

"Wanna go to the dock and see if we can dip our feet in the water?" Vanille asked pumping a fist in the air, cheerfully.

"Okay!" Dajh replied happily bouncing up and down. As they walked toward the small dock in the center of the large pond, Vanille continuously continued to turn her head to get a glimpse of Sazh. She could still make out the bold designs of flowers, leaves, and birds on his short-sleeved, loose-fitting, open-collar shirt. He paced, back and forth as he spoke into the small cellphone in his hand.

**'Is something wrong?'**

"Here I'll help you take off your shoes." Vanille offered as she turned back to notice Dajh struggling to take his small shoes off.

"Peep peep!" Chocolina chirped as she hopped gleefully in Dajh's afro. Vanille smiled at the small chocobo as she finally slipped off Dajh's shoes. Taking off as soon as the shoes came off, Dajh raced to the edge of the dock and tried unsuccessfully to dip his not-long-enough dangling feet into the water.

"I can't reach!" he complained as he strained his little feet towards the water. Vanille couldn't help, but to giggle as she watched the six year-old pout. Her pale feet already splashing lightly in the water.

"It's okay, I guess...we can do something else then?" she suggested as she began to grab his shoes from her left side.

"I see you both found something to entertain yourselves with." Hope commented, he then approached them with a water bottle swinging in his hands.

"Not really." Vanille replied a little disappointed. She spoke while helping Dajh with his shoe laces.

"We just got here, but Dajh wants to do something else." she pouted. Both, her and Hope were taken by surprise when Dajh took off and grabbed Vanille's sandles, right when she was done tying his right shoe lace. He giggled as he clutched the shoes closer to his small chest as he went.

"Dajh?" she called off after him. Then noticing he wasn't paying any attention, she quickly stood taking her feet out of the fresh cold water.

"Dajh?" she let out once again.

"I don't think he can hear you...or may I say, doesn't want to hear you." Hope said as he watched the little boy run off.

"Should I...?" Hope asked with a huge grin.

"He can be a trouble maker when he wants to be." Vanille said as she etched her way to the edge of the grass and lightly placed one of her pale sun-craving feet on one of the grey stones long stone pathway that led to a extremely hot pavement.

"Ahh, of course!" Vanille let out hopping up and down panicking, but didn't dare step on the row of stones; which were boiling hot, her bare feet couldn't stand a chance.

"""""""""""""""""""""""Snow""""""""""""""""""

**'Boy if your sister kills me I'll have to hold you responsible, babe!'**

"Stand down, Claire!" a male voice, coming from behind Snow, called off. Claire remained in her same position, her pistol aimed precisely in the center of Snow's two now knitted eyebrows. Her blue eyes then looked from the blond man to the dark-haired man she knew as her protector.

"He's dangerous, he's my enemy...and possibly your enemy too." she replied without a single waver. 'As cold as ever.' Snow thought to himself, giving his thoughts the liberty to wander.

"But he hasn't done anything to you,.. yet." the voice began trying to reason with the stubborn-minded woman. '"Yet"?What's that suppose to mean?' Snow thought risking it and raising an eyebrow, questionably. Claire's eyes had left his to look up in the direction the male voice was coming from.

"He is your friend Claire...don't do something you'll later regret." the man continued with a more commanding tone than an asking tone. Then though the corner of his eye, Snow managed to catch a semi-glimpse of his now known 'hero'. Placing hand on the handgun's barrel, the man repeated himself.

"Don't do something you'll later regret,... Officer Farron." he said the words, threatening her every action. Claire slowly and with ease, unloaded the gun and handed the magazine to him.

"I saw him, Cid... He's no friend of mine." she said looking directly at Snow as she said the words. 'Cid?... Cid?... Where have I heard that...' Snow thought to himself, but immediately stopped upon recognition.

"Raines!?" Snow automatically let out when he finally got a good look of the former military commander.

""""""""""""""""Katherine"""""""""""""""

Kat entered the delicious smelling restaurant at the corner of her school with a growling stomach. Of course, it wasn't like her to stop by and grab something to eat during lunch. Usually, she just went straight home after school on early release days, but today was different. Different because no one was home today. 'Sky must still be at work today.' she thought to herself and sighed unpleased. If she went home she would be left alone to the empty house. Of course she had friends, but getting together with them after school always made her lazy. As if, somehow seeing them only reminded her she would have to go back to school eventually.

The only true friend who really didn't make her feel that way was now long gone. She was living somewhere out there, who knows where. The raven haired girl jumped startled when her phone strangely vibrated. 'That's funny who would be texting me now?' she asked herself, knowing she had just said her goodbyes to all her friends after school. She slowly slipped into the nearest sit on a table for two and searched her bag for her phone. 'Skylor?' she thought as she read the sender's name.

"Hey sis, I didn't go to work today because our new friend here was acting weird. Come straight home today after school, kay?" she read aloud to herself.

"Sounds like someone needs your help with something." a female voice spoke calling Kat's attention to her. Kat smiled warmly at the stranger, who was suppose to be her waitress for the time being.

"Yeah,.. my brother always so over protective." Kat replied smiling at the blue-eyed girl.

"Yeah, tell me about it, my si..." the girl began, but trailed off and refrained from continuing. Then she smiled brightly placing a hand on her left hip.

"So, what can I get for you?" she asked pulling a notepad out with her other hand. Kat instantly propping her head on both of her palms, thinking quietly to herself. 'He said to come straight home, but what if I'm hungry? Then what? What if Noel is still at the house and he's hungry too?' shaking her head like if it would automatically clear her thoughts she looked back to the girl.

"I think I'll be ordering to take." Kat answered nodding her head and mentally agreeing with herself. She then sat up straight and began to look though the menu on the table.

"Alright, a Take-out order? What do you want to get?" she asked grabbing her pen from her apron and jotting down everything that came from Kat.

...

"Okay, I'll have your things ready in a second. I think I saw some of those chicken strips still cooking in the kitchen." she began and winked an eye at Kat. She then watched as the girl left to head back to a window where she would place the orders. Sighing once again she grabbed her phone from the table and began texting back.

"I'm getting something to eat real quick. Be there in a bit. :)" she texted back and then propping her head back on her palms, settled for watching people as the passed by. She wrinkled her nose as she stared at two people in particular. A woman with dark hair and a determined look on her face and a man who's hair looked like he had a blue duster for hair. They both walk down the sidewalk pushing each other playfully, though the woman had a more fierce look to her outwards appearance. She continuously smiled from time-to-time.

"""""""""""""""""""""

**'And each passing day I hate myself more...because I don't have neutral feeling for you anymore...I have these strange feelings...I have grown not to be so at ease with you around...'**

"It'll be alright." Hope assured as he felt Vanille tighten her legs around his waist. Holding her legs with his arms and his hands interlocked in front of him, he made sure her weight was evenly divided. His scent sent shivers down her petit back as she took in the fragrance that lingered around him like an aura. She was literally clinging on to him. Dajh had thought it-be perfect time to take off with her shoes and now she was stranded waiting for him; who in turn would never return.

"Here, stay here while I go get you shoes." Hope said as he backed up on a dark-green park bench.

"Oooh HOT HOT HOT!" Vanille let out hopping out of the sun-baked bench right back up into Hope's arms. Hope chuckled as he hiked her body up higher to get a better hold of her.

"Here, you can step on my feet, while I take my sweater off." Hope instructed as he put her down slowly.

"What do you need your sweater for?" she asked confused, yet did as she was told. With her bare feet on his boots, Vanille automatically slipped her arms underneath his hoodie and around his midriff. 'I can do this...I can do this..I can do this.' she thought to herself, mentally smacked herself for ever letting Dajh get away with things like this. It was okay when they both played tricks on Snow together, but on each other? Nuh uh!

**'I can't treat you like a kid anymore...although that was never what I really intended to do...'**

Hope quickly began to slip out of his hoodie and keeping himself in perfect balance, he stood with his legs slightly parted.

He then caught a glimpse of Vanille's face as she looked away from him. Light pink hues lingered her perfect cheeks, fiercely.

After taking the sweater off he placed it on the hot bench and spread it out to give her enough space to sit on.

"There, you can stay here now. I'll go and find Dajh and your shoes, kay?" he asked looking down at her as she took a sit on his sweater and nodded vigorously towards him..

"That's your mom and dad?" a small voice asked coming from behind Hope. They both turned their attention to the source of the voice and were surprised to find a small girl with two high pigtails eyeing them both, Dajh standing next to her.

"N-" Dajh began put was interrupted by a small squeal released by the small girl.

"Oh!" Vanille gasped as she noticed what the little girl was holding in her hand. Chocolina squirming helplessly, peeped and pecked at the girl, begging to be released.

"Ahh, there you are, Dajh!" Sazh called as he approached the group from behind. The girl, who looked to be no older than Dajh, quickly released Chocolina and took off in direction of the playgrounds.

"Wait for me!" Dajh called after her while he quickly made to take off after her.

"Nuh uh, I don't think so little man, you stay here. We have to hit the road." Sazh said as he placed a hand on the six year-old's shoulder. As soon as the small girl had released her, Chocolina, with great haste, had flapped her little wings towards a compassionate looking Vanille.

"Oh, it's okay, little one." she cooed as she petted Chocolina gently.

"Your ready to go now?" Hope asked arching a brow at Sazh.

"Well,...it's not like I have a choice. Remember Rachel, the co-pilot from the aircraft port?" the frowning father spoke as he hooked his arms under Dajh's armpits and swung him over onto his back.

"Yes,..the woman who is your number one co-pilot?" Hope asked, both of his hands on his hips and a side grin etched on his face.

"Yes,..her." Sazh answered noticing Hope's reaction.

"She is coming up here to pick me up. It looks like we have a list of flights that have missing pilots and she wants our team to take over." Sazh frowned and shook his head from side-to-side, disappointed.

"Aww!" Vanille exclaimed as she dared let her feet swing inches away from the hot pavements below. Her mouth dropped as she finally came to realize exactly what Sazh was trying to say.

"You're both leaving me!" she yelled resisting the urge to cling onto Hope, who was still standing inches away from her.

""""""""""""""""""""Claire"""""""""""""""""""

"What I saw...hmph...it was different. ..different from any of the others...What do you call them Cid?...visions?..flashbacks?" Claire explained while she reached for her coffee mug and took a few sips. The dark-haired man had slipped in next to Snow in his side of the booth sits. Snow, who was staring at Claire intensely, listened as she spoke.

"""""""""""Claire's Memory"""""""""" Flashback""""""

Snow straighten out after smashing his foot into the head of the monster he had destroyed with a forceful step of his ice consuming touch. A light mist of ice exploded from the impact and engulfed his legs up to his calves. His l'cie brand pained the palm of his left hand, but he ignored it.

"I can take a wild guess," he called out, cocky-like. Craning his neck, as he jerked his long light-blond hair out of his eyes. Slightly clenching his jaw, he snarled. "You want to SAVE me."

The monsters that were surrounding them moved forward, resuming their attack. Determined, Claire sliced and slashed her way though the hordes of creatures that launched themselves at her. As if it was a causal stroll down a slightly rocky road, she continued to take out what was left of her remaining enemies. She stood her ground as three enormous beasts managed to pin her down with weapons they too wield. Exploding with a large amount of power she had conjured up, the beast were sent flying away from her. Moving with grace-like smoothness, she reproached each advancing component. Striking each of them down with her immense swordsmanship.

"Legends are told of her coming," Snow yelled out.

"Banisher of darkness, bringer of light, redeemer of souls. She'd come at the end of days to guide our souls to salvation." Snow exclaimed as if it were all a long overly-told tale.

"Damn you, Lightning!" Snow cursed as he kick-climbed an attack on a few beasts himself. He finished his attack disarming a creature and creating an icy two-ended axe.

"What's it gonna be?!" he called out whacking the beast out of the way and moving towards her with great haste.

Soon after, Claire and Snow clashed in the center of all. Snow's iron-frigid axe met her scarlet steel sword.

"You gonna try to kill me," Snow growled as the two refused to give in.

"Huh?" he pressed before they were both forced to pull back when an unexpected invader moved forward to attack them both.

They both lashed at it not taking their eyes off of each other. In an instant it vanished into Chaos and they without a question, turned their attention to each other. The Palace was now empty, free to their disposal.

Lashing violent and aggressive blows at each other. They both chased each other onto statues and balconies, battering through the stone pillars and ornamented walls. Either one of them trying to end their lock and gain a hit. Claire moving with such speed, a lightning bolt, striking with no warning. A flash in life, which only rewards you with a single glimpse of its beauty.

Shattering his frigid axe, Claire moved forward. Snow wasn't a match anymore as he went propelling forward onto the cold, empty grand-room floor. No long able to move, Snow reminded still as Claire's sword now laid lightly on his left shoulder. Claire watched him, but made no move to put down her sword.

"It's over," she breathed as if her sudden move and his sudden situation now remedied their continuous clashings.

"You're a regular Angel of Death, Light." Snow spoke as he rised, giving her sword a new spot to linger.

"So now what? Is this the bit where you save my soul?" he continued, fear playing no part in his words.

"I could help you," Lightning answered quickly, she watched him, her face with blank emotions.

"If that's what you want." she added bluntly.

"Damn it," Snow let out enraged. Turning with ease, he took her by the white fabric of her collar. Their faces now separated by the single sharp blade, Claire stubbornly refused to put down. Lightly grazing his neck, the blade remained.

"What kind of answer is that?" Snow finished inhaling deeply through his clenched teeth and slightly parted lips.

**'Lament? A soul's lament to be saved? Salvation, is mine to give...could I save you?'**

Suddenly, Darkness...complete darkness...then like a flash in the midst of a thunderstorm. A seconds glimpse of what happened then..

The Chaos...the shadows...they all seeped easily into Snow...into his body...his hands, his chest...

"No one is gonna stop me, you hear? Not you," he stared at his hand as he balled it into a fist.

"And definitely not her." he continued calmly.

"If I have to fight the Savior, then I will," Snow finished before turning towards the Chaos...the darkness...and disappearing into the pit of black...

""""""""End Flashback"""""""""

"And that's the threat directed from you, Sweet Of Sweets." Claire finished as she turned away from the glass window she had been looking out from, back to Cid and Snow. Cid grunted as he reached for his own mug of dark coffee.

"And this is your most recent one, am I right?" he asked as he watched her from his sit.

"Yes, it is...and as you can see I have my reasons for my actions." she answered annoyance and tiredness claimed her delicate features.

"Yes, but clearing the entire café?" Cid asked while gesturing toward the half-empty restaurant.

"Some stubbornly stood their ground?" she countered like a teenager trying to give their scolding parent a good reason not to punish them.

"Yes, but you got it all wrong, Lightning-I mean Claire. I'm not the same man I was back then-" Snow began, but was interrupted by Cid's rising hand.

"Let me remind you, Claire is not completely who she was before." Cid explained as he examined his gloved hand as he spoke. As if it were his newly found entertainment, he frowned at it and began to pull his gloves off.

"She'll need help with that..and pay no matter to her instant refusing." he continued giving her a small glance, before looking to Snow.

**'We have to get you back...I need you back...Serah needs you back.'**

""""""" """""""""""""""

"No,... Well, I am, I guess." Sazh began as he watched the fiery redhead shake her head from side-to-side.

"No no no you said you would stay. You told Snow you would, remember?" she countered. She would look to Sazh and then sneak a side glimpse of Hope.

"Why would-" she began, but he cut her off.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying until Snow returns and that's that." Hope spoke while crossing his arms over his chest.

"No no listen," Sazh began and moving to sit next to her.

"I have to go, okay? But, I figured since Hope is here too he can stay with you and wait until Snow returns. I'll be gone for about three-to-four days on this flight, but I promise it's not something I want to do." he finished and frowned when he noticed her shoes were gone.

"Well we better get going then. We can drop by the hotel to pick up our things and check-out. I mean, since it's only going to be you Hope I figured you can just stay over at the apartment with her instead of driving back and forth everyday." Sazh continued still holding Dajh on his back. Now it was Vanille's turn to frown when she heard the words that left his mouth.

"Hope is staying over at the apartment?" she said the words halfly gawking at Sazh.

"""""""""""""""

* * *

A/R: Uhhh guys, I know that in the game version of Lightning Returns Snow doesn't introduce Lightning/Claire as the Savior aloud, but I couldn't resist. I needed to get his thoughts out of his head, so Lightning/Claire can get it in her's lol. I just thought I should explain that so you guy don't say, "What version of the game has Snow yelling that out?" ^^ Yeah,... Oh and if you guys don't mind, I'm going to refer to Lightning as Claire for a while. I know it sounds weird, but hey that's her name :) Soooo, plesh review and let me know what you guys think. Till next time, Caio!^^


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